


La Musica del Cuore

by tufano79



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Music, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 00:09:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 207,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6399757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tufano79/pseuds/tufano79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They met at Emerson University, fell in love and began their journey. Four years after the release of their first single, Edward and Bella Cullen are still going strong and happy with their lives. Breaking Midnight, the band that had brought them together is on top of the music charts, winning numerous accolades and awards.<br/>Nothing can stop them.<br/>Or so it would seem …<br/>Ghosts from their past rear their ugly heads and will it be too much for this couple? Will their fairy tale happily ever after crumble? Only time will tell, but one thing is steadfast...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And The Grammy Goes To ...

**Author's Note:**

> [](http://s920.photobucket.com/user/jthlavacs/media/LMDC_zpst0mniwwa.jpg.html)   
> 

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is! I would, um, _suggest_ that you read _La Cantante_ so you are familiar with all of the characters and the premise. I’m in the process of rereading it so I can write this. Anyhow, here’s a full summary … **

**_They met at Emerson University, fell in love and began their journey. Four years after the release of their first single, Edward and Bella Cullen are still going strong and happy with their lives._ Breaking Midnight _, the band that had brought them together is on top of the music charts, winning numerous accolades and awards._**

**_Nothing can stop them._ **

**_Or so it would seem …_ **

**_Ghosts from their past rear their ugly heads and will it be too much for this couple? Will their fairy tale happily ever after crumble? Only time will tell, but one thing is steadfast..._ **

** La Musica del Cuore (Music of the Heart) **

**Chapter One: And the Grammy Goes To …**

**EPOV**

It had been a huge night. I was sitting next to my wife of four, almost five years, gripping her hand as we were waiting for Bruno Mars to announce the winner of Song of the Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards. We’d already taken home Best Alternative Album, Best Alternative Song and Song of the Year for our sophomore album, _Midnight Sun._ It was a perfect mesh of Bella’s lyrical soprano voice and my soulful, rough guitar playing. However, the song that was up for Song of the Year was the love ballad I’d written and performed for my wife, “La Musica del Cuore.” I’d snuck it into the recording, with the help of Kellan and our record producer, Jared Silvermann.

“And Song of the Year goes to,” Bruno said, smiling widely at the camera as he opened the envelope, “La Musica del Cuore’ by Breaking Midnight!”

The crowd roared as I stood up, taking Bella’s face into my hands. “ _Il Mio Cantante,_ beautiful,” I whispered against her lips.

“Hmmmm,” she replied, nipping at my mouth. “You are in so much trouble, mister.”

“I can imagine,” I snickered, threading my fingers with hers and walking onto the stage with Bella, Jasper, Emmett and our manager and long-time friend, Kellan Moore. I took the Grammy Award from Bruno, giving him a hug before turning to the microphone. Once the crowd’s cheers had died down, I gave the camera a crooked grin. “Tonight has been a dream come true. We never believed that what started as a just a hobby, a decent college band, could turn into something like this. We’d like to thank our families for supporting us throughout the past four years during this whirlwind of performing, writing and touring. Thank you to Kellan, who has been our long-time manager, discovering us in the club near Emerson University. Also, to our family at Twilight Records, Adele, Jared and the Cliffhangers, who guided us through the first year of craziness. Finally, thank you to all of the fans. We wouldn’t be standing up here without you and your support. Thank you so much!”

I turned to my beautiful wife, wrapping my arms around her slender waist and kissed her like my life depended on it. She giggled against my mouth, her foot kicking up as I dipped her. Bruno led us off the stage and into the press conference. “Congratulations, guys,” Bruno smiled, giving each of us a hug. “It was well-deserved. The album was amazing and the power behind your song, ‘La Musica del Cuore’ … _wow!_ ”

“Thank you,” Bella said, her arms around my waist. “It means so much to hear you say that.”

“I mean it. If you ever want to collaborate, give me a call,” Bruno said, kissing Bella’s cheek and shaking my hand. “Are you guys going to the after parties?”

“Of course!” Emmett said, rubbing his hands together. “You know me! I love a party.”

“A little too much,” Bella grumbled under her breath. I pinched her hip, giving her an understanding look. She shook her head and walked to the press conference. We stood around, getting our pictures taken and answering questions about our upcoming album and North American tour this coming summer. For the most part, the questions were respectful and related to our Grammy wins and music, but the last question was from one of those gossip rags.

“Bella, is it true that you had an abortion because you got pregnant with Emmett’s baby?” asked the snooty reporter.

One of the security guards shot up and dragged the reporter out before Bella could say no comment, but the damage had been done. What was an amazing night was now ruined by the never ending lies being spewed about our personal lives. We were fiercely private and to hear such horrific lies being told upset all of us to no end.

After that question, we left the press conference and stayed behind to take pictures with the other winners from the evening. Bella was quiet and was stewing. “Beautiful,” I whispered against her hair. “I know you’re upset, but you and I both know it’s not true.”

“I know,” she sighed. “It’s just fucking bullshit. Number one, for me to sleep with my brother? Ewww! And number two, the fact that I’d have an abortion? Fuck. No. I mean, it’s a woman’s right to choose, but I’d never choose to do it. Besides, the only person I’d want to have babies with is you, Edward.”

“And I can’t wait until we can have those babies, beautiful,” I purred, wrapping my hand in her ponytail. “Once we’re done with this tour, you and me, we’re making babies.”

“Hmmm, I love the sound of that,” she purred, her hands gliding up my navy blue tuxedo. “Perhaps, we can practice once we get home?”

 “Practice makes perfect,” I growled, pulling her ponytail back so I could kiss her lips roughly. She gripped the lapels of my jacket, rolling her body against mine and making my already tight pants even more uncomfortable. Pulling away, I kissed her nose. “We better behave or there will be an authentic tabloid story of us fucking each other stupid on the stage where we won our Grammys.”

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before,” she murmured seductively, taking my hand and guiding me out of the auditorium and to our waiting limo.

Her not-so-subtle innuendo brought me back to when I took her on the piano on the stage of Brandon Hall at Emerson University. It was fucking hot as I pounded into her, feeling her tight pussy all around me. I wanted her.

Right. Now.

“Get your mind out of Lustyville, Edward,” she giggled. “We’re riding to the after parties with Jasper, Nia, Emmett, Kellan and Alice. You can’t fuck me while there are five other people in the car.”

“Damn it,” I grumbled, wrapping my arms around my wife’s waist and attacking her neck. “Later? Can we fuck later?”

“We can fuck as much as we want, once we get home, handsome,” she purred, backing her ass against my crotch. “As you said, practice makes perfect.”

“And I do strive for perfection,” I whispered, nipping at her ear.

I couldn’t believe my life. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be married to the most amazing, sexy woman on the planet, having an award-winning band and touring the world with said band. The past four years had been a whirlwind of making music, touring, promoting and award shows, but so amazing. From the moment our first song was played on the radio, our lives had changed. For the most part, for the better.

Bella and I were getting ready to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary in August. Our marriage was one of mutual respect, love and a lot of raunchy sex. My quiet, demure girlfriend from five years ago was now a sex kitten and when she wanted me, she made it abundantly clear. Now, don’t get me wrong, our relationship is not based on just sex. Our mutual love of music, the respect we had for one another and the adoration for each other was much more important our sex lives. We just like to make love. A lot.

_Don’t be hating. If you had a wife as beautiful as mine, you’d be doing it as often as we do, too._

_Just saying._

Where Bella and I were thriving in the spotlight, others were floundering. Alice and Jasper, they tried to make it work as a couple, but he never got over her betrayal about being pregnant and subsequently losing the baby. He never trusted her and when they were intimate – which I did not want to hear about since Alice was still my sister, but did anyway since Jasper came to me for advice – he couldn’t let go. So, after trying, unsuccessfully, for a year, they decided to break up. They still are close friends, but their relationship couldn’t survive the debacle that Alice put him through when she was diagnosed with being bipolar and secretly getting pregnant, then subsequently losing the baby.

Alice is doing well, despite her demise of her relationship with Jasper. She’s medicated and currently seeing a few guys casually. She’s our costume designer for all of our performances and acts as Bella’s and my personal assistant, coordinating our schedules. It’s perfect for her type-A personality. She keeps us on the straight and narrow. She’s close with Bella, thinking of her as her sister and I know that my wife feels the same.

Jasper, on the other hand, is dating and considering marrying Kellan’s little sister, Nia. They have been dating for a little over two years. They met at one of our shows in Eclipse. Kellan was always adamant on bringing us back to our roots to make sure we remembered how far we had come. Nia was doing a college visit at Emerson University and had backstage passes, courtesy of our manager and her older brother. Jasper and Nia hit it off and suffice it to say, the rest is history. Nia started shadowing Kellan and became a valued member of our Breaking Midnight family, acting as publicist, and maintaining our Facebook page, twitter feed, Instagram, and website.

Originally, that had been Rose managing those aspects of our group, but she couldn’t handle being out on the road and in the spotlight. While we were on our last tour, information about her rape was leaked out and the paparazzi attacked, making her life a living hell. She flew back to New York to spend time with her parents while we finished the tour, returning to California when we began work on our next album, _Midnight Sun_. However, she loved the quiet life and wanted it desperately.

Emmett, on the other hand, loved being the center of attention and lived to party, much to our chagrin. Bella even believed that Emmett had cheated on Rose on several occasions, but it was never corroborated. Jasper, Bella and I had stayed true to our beliefs, but Emmett let fame go to his head. We were concerned and tried to get him to see reason, but he didn’t think that he was doing anything wrong.

His marriage was in jeopardy because of it and so was his future with Breaking Midnight, to be honest.

Settling in the stretch Hummer, we drove to the Twilight after party at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails. Emmett was texting on his phone, snickering as Nia and Jasper cuddled with each other. Alice was chatting with Kellan, discussing our look for our next tour. “Do you think Emmett is texting Rose?” Bella asked, her legs draped across mine.

“Unlikely,” I snorted.

“I’m worried about my older brother, Edward,” she hissed. “He’s getting worse. I think that he’s even dabbling in drugs. Did you see his eyes today? They were glazed over.”

“I didn’t, but I think we need to talk to him. We have a solid reputation of being consummate professionals and not acting like the usual rock and roll bands, trashing hotel rooms and having orgies,” I deadpanned.

“If you have an orgy, Cullen, I will stick this stiletto up your ass,” Bella threatened, wiggling her spiked heel in the air.

“Beautiful, the only person I want is you. No orgies for me,” I said, nuzzling her neck. “And, so violent!”

“I just wanted you to remember who you belonged to,” she quipped.

“I’m wearing your ring. I have a swan tattoo over my heart and your name underneath my wedding band. I think they all know that I’m yours, Bella,” I said, gliding my fingers down her neck. “And need I remind you that you’re marked, too?”

“Oh, I know,” she said, taking my hand and moving it to our name that was tattooed under her breast. Along with that, she had the Cullen crest tattooed on her wrist and the chorus of ‘La Musica del Cuore’ etched onto her ribs. My sexy girl was covered with tattoos and I loved it. I wanted to lick each one. I ran my thumb along the underside of her breast, wishing I could see the tattoo, but knowing it was there was enough for me.

For now.

I’d give her all of the loving and attention once we got back from the after party. My tongue had a date with her pussy, damn it.

Arriving at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails, we all posed on the black carpet for the paparazzi. Bella was in the middle, holding my hand and her arm was around Jasper’s waist. Emmett was on the other side of me, posing like a complete jackass, wearing his sunglasses at nine at night. However, we kept up the pretenses that everything was fine, but I knew that we’d have a conversation with Emmett regarding his behavior. Something had to change.

A few paparazzi asked questions about our Grammy wins and some others brought up some untrue gossip, but we ignored them, smiling for the photographers before heading into the restaurant/nightclub. We stayed together, eating some of the appetizers and drinking the signature drink for an hour. However, Nia wanted to dance with Jasper and Bella was tired from standing in her heels. We took a seat while Jasper went out on the dance floor, moving like a spastic camel. Alice was talking with one of the new artists at Twilight, flirting and teasing him. Emmett was gone, probably getting a blowjob in the bathroom, or something.

Kellan sat down next to me and Bella. “Why aren’t you two dancing?” he asked.

“Have you seen the shoes Alice put me in?” Bella quipped, holding up the death traps from hell.

“Ouch. Good point,” Kellan chuckled. “So, I’ve heard nothing but positives about your wins tonight. And your performance was spot on! Nia mentioned Jimmy Kimmel contacting you for a performance and the producers from _Saturday Night Live_ want you, too.”

“This is supposed to be the calm before the storm,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “Our summer tour is going to be insane.”

“Just think of it this way – it’s publicity about your upcoming tour,” Kellan argued. “From what I’ve heard, it’s two appearances, with the possibility of two more. We’ve got almost three months before the tour starts. We’re in a good place for it, planning wise.”

“Did you receive the final layout for the stage?” Bella asked.

“I did. The lighting and pyrotechnics are out of this world,” Kellan beamed, pulling out his cell phone. He showed us the graphic design of the stage and the lighting schematics for the whole thing. It was insane and perfect, really. “Alice is putting final touches on your costumes, working with your two albums and creating several various t-shirt designs. One is going to be a recreation of the album cover, but obviously with the publicity that ‘La Musica del Cuore’ has received tonight, there will be a special t-shirt just for that, too.”

“I can’t believe you guys snuck that onto _Midnight Sun,_ ” Bella grumped. “That was _my_ song. It was written for me, by my husband.”

“Bella, you heard how much everyone loved it. It’s because Edward wrote it for you that it’s so popular. With actors and celebrities going through spouses like they are dirty socks, it’s so special to hear a husband sing about his unending devotion to his wife,” Kellan argued. “And do you know that there are stories popping up on some website about your song? I think it’s called fan fiction? You two are the stars in thousands teenage girls’ fantasies of what love should be.”

“I don’t know if I should be flattered or squicked out,” Bella snickered. “Have you read these stories?”

“A few. Nia shared a particularly juicy one with me,” Kellan chuckled. “Apparently, Edward, you have a ten inch long cock with a Prince Albert and Bella …”

“Yeah, I don’t need to hear any more,” I deadpanned. “A Prince Albert? Tattoos? Yes. Piercings? Fuck. No.”

“Hypocrite,” Bella said, smacking my chest.

“Do I want to know?” Kellan asked, arching a brow.

“When I got my last tattoo, I mentioned to Edward that I was toying with the idea of getting my nipple pierced,” Bella shrugged. “He fucking _begged_ me to get it done. I did and well, we both love it.”

“Piercings are meant for girls,” I said, shifting uncomfortably.

“I think you should pierce _your_ nipple, Edward,” Bella said, twisting my nipple. “I’d love to flick it with my tongue, just like …”

“You two are freaking porn stars,” Kellan said, shaking his head.

“Meh, we have a healthy sex life,” Bella smirked. “I think we even defiled your desk.”

“You did what?!” Kellan screeched.

“There is no part of our studio hasn’t been touched our naked asses, Kellan,” I laughed. His eyes bugged out and his face turned an unnatural shade of purple. He muttered something about needing to bleach his brain, scurrying away from us. “Poor guy.”

“It was time he knew the truth,” Bella giggled, snuggling closer to me.

As we sat there, Kellan did eventually venture back with some other studio bigwigs, including Adele Mariani, the producer we started with and our current record producer, Jared Silvermann. Adele had decided to take a step back from the business when she decided to have children with her long-time boyfriend. She still helped out with some of our tracks, but her main focus was her two twin boys, Ralph and Walter.

A few fans were at the party and we graciously took pictures with them, signing autographs. If it weren’t for the fans, we wouldn’t be around today. We loved interacting with the fans and did so as often as we could. We also used most of our profits from Breaking Midnight to help fund music education around the country. We partnered up with VH1 and their Save the Music campaign, donating what we could and even performing at various schools, free of charge, to help raise money for choir tours, new instruments and renovating auditoriums.

If it weren’t for the music educators in our lives, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We want to pay it forward. And we did, with the blessings and support of Twilight Recording.

Around one in the morning, the party began to break up. Kellan was going to head back to his condo near the Los Angeles studio. Nia and Jasper were talking about going to an after- _after_ party but I wanted nothing more than to go home and make love to my gorgeous wife. From the rheumy look in her eyes, she was feeling the same thing. Jasper and Nia caught an Uber, while Kellan, Bella and I waited for Alice and Emmett. My cell phone vibrated with a text from my younger, adopted sibling.

_I’m heading back with Adele. She said that Ralph and Walter want to see their Aunt Alice. I’ve got some quasi-nephews to spoil! ~ Ali_

Bella was glaring at her cell phone. “Haven’t heard from Emmett?” I asked.

“Nope,” she sneered. “If he fucks it up with Rose …”

“He’s already fucked it up with Rose, Bella,” I frowned. Bella sighed, tapping into her phone. “What did you say?”

“I told him that he better not be fucking around and that he’s on his own for a ride,” she snapped. She tossed the phone into her purse, getting into the limo. I could tell that she was pissed at her brother and understandably so. Looking back at the entrance of the club, I tried to see Emmett, but he was nowhere to be seen. With a sigh, I followed my wife into the limo and we pulled away, dropping off Kellan at his condo first before we drove to our home in Calabasas. We made the conscious decision to live an hour outside of Los Angeles since we didn’t want crazed fans on our doorstep.

Yes, we loved our fans, but we had a few nutcases over the past four years, almost five. In fact, it was one of the main reasons we had to sell our home near Emerson University. Some rabid fans found out where we lived and made it awful for us. And these were the nutcases. When we bought another home in New York, it was also in a secured location, and off the beaten path.

We found a secured neighborhood with gorgeous homes and exactly what we needed. Rose and Emmett lived across the street while Jasper had a smaller house a few blocks away. Alice was the only one who didn’t live in the Calabasas community. She stayed in Los Angeles, living in the same neighborhood as Kellan in a townhouse around the corner. However, the neighborhood was quiet and secure, which was exactly what we wanted since we lived such a public life.

The limo driver pulled up to the gate and we greeted one of our favorite guards, Felipe. His daughter was a huge fan and we gave him, and all of the security guards a lot of Breaking Midnight swag as often as we could. We needed to keep them on our good side. You know?

I tipped the limo driver and we went into our house, with me carrying our four Grammy trophies. I could see a flicker in Emmett’s house across the street and I knew that Rose was aware that Emmett was still out partying. I grimaced, praying that she wouldn’t call Bella to bitch out her husband and Bella’s brother. I wanted time alone with my wife. My dick was aching for it.

Bella took the Grammys from me and placed them into the curio cabinet that held all of our awards. “It’s getting so full, Edward. We’re going to have to get a bigger one,” she said, slipping off her shoes. I snaked my arms around her waist, kissing just behind her ear, on another of her tattoos, an eighth note with a flourish. All of the girls had one, getting it on Alice’s twenty-first birthday. “Hmmmm, I love your mouth on me, baby.”

“I love my mouth on you, too,” I purred, unzipping her sexy, red dress. It was reminiscent of a flapper, with sequins and tassels. I kissed down her neck and nudged the strap down her shoulder with my nose. Gliding my hands down her smooth skin, I slipped them into her dress and cupped her bare breasts. I found her nipple ring, twisting it with my fingers.

“Edward,” she breathed, her arm reaching back and pulling my face to hers. I crushed my mouth, massaging her sweet lips with mine, tasting her and teasing her. She turned around, shrugging out of her dress. It fell to the ground and my nearly naked wife was in my arms, gripping my hair with a desperation that understood all too well. However, her hands moved to my jacket, shoving it off my body. I bent down, picking her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I carried her upstairs to our bedroom. Her fingers fumbled with my shirt until I finally tore it apart.

Yeah, I started working out and I’ve got muscles.

It’s sweet.

Bella moaned, her hands moving along my chest and scratching my torso. “I need you, baby,” I growled against her mouth. “I need to taste my wife.”

“Please,” she begged, rolling her body in need. I grinned against her, kissing down her neck before my mouth was wrapped around her nipple. Flicking it with my tongue, I cupped the other breast with my hand and played with the nipple ring. She was writhing, moaning for more. Kissing across her chest, I took her nipple ring between my teeth and tugged on it. Bella gasped, rocking her body against my thigh. I could feel her heat and how wet she was through the wool of my pants and the sheer fabric of her nude panties. Moving my mouth down her body, I tugged her panties off, spreading her legs to display her bare and needy sex.

“Edward,” she whimpered, grasping at my disheveled hair. “Lick my pussy, baby. I need it.”

“How badly, Isabella?” I asked, rubbing my hands along her thighs.

“I want to come so hard that I cover you with my pussy juice,” she said breathily, sitting up and staring at me. “I don’t want to take things into my own hands.” Yeah, my shy and reserved wife is now a fucking sex goddess, not holding anything back.

And what my baby wants, my baby gets.

“Your orgasms are all fucking mine, Bella,” I growled, turning my head and sucking on her thigh. There was a permanent spot on her inner thigh from me sucking on her leg, where no one could see but me. It was my spot and every time we made love, had sex, fucked, I reminded her that she was mine. I’m a possessive bastard when it came to my wife. Don’t get me wrong, I have my own marks from her, but this spot, only we knew about.

“Edward,” she chanted, rocking and spreading her legs further apart. Her pussy was so close to my mouth but I had to finish what I was doing before I’d taste her succulent essence. It was pouring out of her, coating the bedspread. I couldn’t wait to feel her arousal against my tongue, tasting her sweet tanginess. Pulling her to the edge of the bed, I ran my tongue from her asshole to her clit. She let out a startled bark, coming almost immediately. “Oh, fuck!”

I smiled against her sex, flicking her clit with my tongue as I teased her entrance with my fingers. She was rolling with each movement of my tongue, making her tits bounce and legs quake with need. Her flavor exploded in my mouth. It was perfection, so inherently _her._ I was addicted to it and was honestly cranky if I didn’t go down on her at least once a day. I kissed her pussy like I kissed her mouth, using my teeth, tongue and lips. She was moaning, writhing on the bed. “More,” she pleaded. “I need more, please! Baby!”

I slid two fingers into her core, groaning against her as her muscles clenched around me. I began pumping my hand inside of her, swirling my tongue over her sensitive bundle of nerves and toying with her ass with my other hand. Her sounds were almost feral and fucking sexy as I brought her closer to her orgasm with my mouth. My face was covered with her arousal, spilling down my chin and easily coating my hand with each thrust. Her fingers twined in my hair, tugging at it almost forcefully as she got closer and closer to orgasm. I could feel her muscles spasm around my fingers. Her thighs tightened around me as she fell back, letting out a silent scream as her body exploded with her release. Using my hand, I rubbed her clit as she drenched me, which made me incredibly happy and, not to mention, turned on as fuck, that I made her come so hard that she squirted.

_I’m the shit!_

Once she calmed, she collapsed on the bed. Her arms and legs sprawled akimbo. “You’re going to kill me one day,” she panted, looking down at me.

“Death by orgasm,” I snickered, kissing her inner thigh tenderly. “I hope you’re not done, Isabella. Seeing you lose yourself … I’m so fucking hard.”

“I want you to feel as amazing as I did, handsome,” she purred, sitting up and pulling me to her. She kissed my lips, moaning as she tasted her arousal on my mouth. “Fuck, we taste good together.”

“We do,” I said, rolling her so she was on my lap. She rocked her hips against mine, brushing my painful arousal with her bare sex. “Bella, I need to be inside you, beautiful.”

“I need you inside me,” she said, reaching for my belt buckle and making quick work of my pants. Shimmying them down, she pulled my cock out of my boxer briefs, swirling the pearl of pre-cum at the tip. I let out a strangled moan as she twisted her hand around me. Nothing compared to when she teased me with her wetness, sliding down the length of my cock. My heart swelled and the feeling of completion filled my being. We truly shared one soul, our hearts beating as one. Gripping her hair, I slammed my hardness inside of her. She whimpered, her nails scratching down my back as I pounded into her relentlessly. “Fuck, like that, Edward. Your cock is fucking big, filling my pussy.”

“God damn it,” I growled, dipping my head and suckling her pierced nipple into my mouth. She moaned, leaning back and meeting me, stroke for stroke. Her hand was roughly rubbing her clit as we made love. My other hand was palming her breast as I gripped her hip. She was a vision of beauty, lust and sexual desire, riding me with abandon. I was lost to her every move, seeing my dick slip through her folds. I could see her arousal around my cock, dripping down my erection and onto my thighs as she got closer and closer to another orgasm.

She squeezed my knees and I stopped thrusting, watching as her body slithered on me. Her movements were more sensual, but no less powerful. She was making my cock rub that spot that got my baby off every time. “You like watching me, baby?” she asked, her voice breathless and her smirk confident and touch cocky. “Seeing your cock in me, dripping with my juices. Fuck, Edward. I wish I had a mirror.”

“I could record this, beautiful. Our own personal porno,” I said. “Up close and personal with your pussy.”

“Next time,” she smiled. “I’m going to come, handsome. All over you. Do you want it?”

“Fuck, love. So bad. I’m so close and seeing you like this? Hmmmm, no words,” I panted out, pressing my thumb to her clit. She shuddered. She squeezed her breasts and her head fell back, making her hair brush against my legs. The wetness between her legs increased and oozed out of her, completely coating my dick. “Just like that Bella. I’m so hard, I’m going to explode.”

“Edward,” she panted, giving me a desperate look. “My pussy … I’m coming!” She pushed me out, soaking my dick with her release. I encouraged her orgasm, my fingers teasing her bare folds before guiding her back to my cock so I could fill her with my own. My hips slammed against hers as my cock was milked by her body, claiming her in the most intimate of ways. She collapsed against my chest as I slowed my thrusts, feeling my cum dribble out of her as I softened. When I slipped out, I enfolded her in my arms and pressed soft, sweet kisses to her shoulder, neck, ear and finally ending with her lips. “ _Il mio cantante,_ ” she cooed.

“I’m partial to sex god,” I snickered against her mouth.

“Hmmm, that too,” she giggled, burying her head against my shoulder. “I’m boneless, baby. Carry me to the shower.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I laughed, picking her up and walking us to our en suite shower. We took our time washing our bodies of the sweat of evidence of our powerful coupling. Wrapping my arms around her tiny body, I kissed her tenderly. “You are my dream girl, Mrs. Cullen.”

“As you are my dream boy, Mr. Cullen,” she said, tracing her fingers along my swan tattoo on my chest. “I love you, so much, baby.”

“I adore you, beautiful,” I replied, kissing her once again. Feeling her lips against mine made my cock wake up.

“You’re insatiable, Edward,” she laughed.

“You say this like it’s a bad thing, Bella,” I scoffed. And then we had some hot shower sex. Honestly, I loved my life!

xx LMDC xx

_Ring! Ring!_

“Mprhg,” Bella moaned, snuggling closer to my body. “Phone, baby.”

_Ring! Ring!_

“You’re closer,” I argued. I tightened my arms around her waist.

“It’s your phone,” she retorted, patting my head. “Pick it up, handsome. Though, whoever is calling this early needs to be fucking shot. I was looking forward to doing nothing today but sleeping and sleeping!”

“It’s three in the afternoon. We’ve slept enough,” I snickered, sitting up and putting on my glasses. On the screen were many, many missed phone calls from Jasper, Nia, Alice, Rose and Bella’s dad. Sliding my finger across my phone, I was inundated with pictures from the paparazzi. “Fuck.”

“No, baby. My cooter is worn out from all of the fucking last night,” Bella moaned, curling up in a tight little ball.

“Bella, look,” I said, thrusting the phone into her hands. She scowled at me, her eyes bright red from not removing her contacts. She rubbed her face, finally looking at the pictures. Her face and body, which were pink from being wrapped in our blankets like a burrito, paled immediately.

“I’m going to fucking kill him!” she sneered, hopping out of bed, only to stumble to the floor. She regained her composure, stomping toward the door.

“Bella! Bella! Bella!” I said, stopping her and turning her around. “Don’t go now.”

“Why the fuck not?!” she snapped.

“You’re naked,” I replied, giving her a sheepish grin. She threw up her arms, walking into our closet and emerging a few moments later in a pair of yoga pants and one of my hoodies. “Before you go over to Emmett’s, half-cocked, call your dad first?”

“What good is that going to do?” Bella asked, taking my proffered phone and scowling. I pulled on a pair of sleep pants, guiding her to the overstuffed chair in our room. “Dad is going to give _me_ shit for not being to control him! I’m not his wife, nor his keeper!”

“I know, I know, but he’s the most insistent person on there,” I said, kissing her cheek.

“I’m seriously going to pummel Emmett’s ass,” Bella grumbled, dialing Charlie. She kept it on speaker.

“Edward, where in the hell is my daughter? I need to talk to her. Immediately,” Charlie barked into the receiver.

“I’m right here, Dad,” she said, exasperated. “My phone is probably in my purse in the kitchen.”

“Have you seen the news? The entertainment news? There are pictures of your brother!” Charlie hissed. “He’s … he’s …”

“I’ve seen them, Charlie,” she snarled. “I don’t know what you want me to do. He won’t listen to me. He _won’t_ listen to his wife …”

“I know, I know,” Charlie grumbled. “What happened to him?”

“Fame got to his head, Dad,” Bella sighed. “I love Emmett. I always will. He’s my brother, but I sure as hell don’t like him right now and fucking ashamed of him.”

“Language, Isabella Marie,” Charlie chastised half-heartedly.

“Admit it, Dad. You’re just as ashamed. Breaking Midnight, we pride ourselves on holding onto our integrity, our ideals. We are never _that_ band. And now? Emmett is ruining that reputation,” Bella sniffled, leaning back in my arms.

“We’re going to have a chat with Emmett, but once we find him,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “He’s still not home yet, according to the texts we’ve received from Rose, Jasper and Nia. Oh, here’s one from Alice saying that Emmett is crashed on her couch.”

“Let me know what happens, Bella,” Charlie sighed. “Sorry for being such an ass. It’s just that … seeing my son’s naked ass …”

“We know,” Bella and I both responded, shuddering. “I love you, Dad,” Bella added.

“Love you, too,” he replied, ending the call.

Bella looked at me. “What are we going to do?” she asked. “I mean, he’s my brother.”

“I know, beautiful,” I said, running my fingers down her cheek. “Why don’t you take out your contacts and we’ll figure out what we need to do.”

“I know what we need to do,” she huffed, getting up off my lap and walking to the bathroom. I heard her cursing before she trudged back to me, wearing her own glasses. “We need to call Emmett.”

“I think our best bet is to call Alice,” I replied, dialing my sister. She had sent a text explaining that Emmett had arrived around four, drunk off his ass.

“Hello?” Alice replied.

“Is Emmett still at your townhouse?” I asked.

“Dear God, YES! He’s snoring like a freight train,” she groaned. “I’m hiding in my bedroom while he’s using my chenille pillows to collect his drool. I can’t believe him.”

“Why did you let him in?” Bella asked, her voice hard.

“Because he wouldn’t stop pounding on my door and my neighbors were getting pissed. He was too drunk to go anywhere else,” Alice said. “Do you want me to wake him?”

“Yes,” Bella replied. “And when he’s hungover like this, you’ll have to essentially wake the dead. Start with twisting his nipple.”

“Ewwww, no! There’s stripper glitter on it,” Alice whined. “That shit is all over my couch!”

“Then, grab some lids from your kitchen and bang them together, right in his ear,” Bella snickered. “Then, pour water on his face.”

“That is doable. I’m so grateful my living room is tiled,” Alice snickered. We heard her searching through drawers and getting the water. There was a dull thud, presumably Alice putting the phone down. Then, the most obnoxious noise filtered through the tinny speakers of my phone. “WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!” Alice screamed, slamming the pan covers together. There was a splash and a booming stream of expletives. Once things quieted down, Alice said sweetly, “Bella wants to talk to you.”

“Fuck,” Emmett groaned. “I’m so dead.”

“You have no idea,” Bella screamed. “Though, I’m going to be small potatoes compared to your _wife_!” He groaned even louder, disconnecting the call. “I think he gets it.”

“I hope so. Let me send a text out. Band meeting,” I sighed.

“Can’t we go back to bed?” Bella whimpered.

“Tempting, beautiful. Very tempting,” I frowned.

**A/N: So, there you have it. The first chapter of the _La Cantante_ sequel, _La Musical Del Cuore._ There will be music, laughter, drama, some angst and a whole lot of lemons. Bella and Edward have gotten older and their love has only grown and become _more_ , um, colorful in the bedroom department. Gone is the shy, reserved Bella. She knows what she wants and that’s her fuckhot hubby. **

**Anyway, you can find teasers and pictures on my original blog. Link for that is on my profile. You can also find me on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I’m also on twitter: tufano79. Pictures of their outfits for the Grammys, the nightclub, and Bella and Edward’s home are on the blog.**

**In regards to updating, I am planning on updating on every other TUESDAY with a teaser on the opposite Tuesday until I can get a surplus of chapters. Once I get more chapters, I’ll update on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but that probably won’t happen until the summer. Thank you to Clo for creating the beautiful banner for this story. Check out her amazing manips and banners on Facebook. You can find her on TWCS under the author name: heartfortwilight. She also has written the sexy and amazing Bound Series. (Totally needed a shamwow when reading that first installment. Dayum!)**

**Enough of me rambling! Leave me some loving! Up next will be the band meeting, Emmett’s shaming and some planning for the upcoming tour. Hugs!**

 

 


	2. Fame Whore

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be the band meeting, Emmett’s shaming and some planning for the upcoming tour. Hugs!**

**Chapter Two: Fame Whore**

**BPOV**

I was scouring my immaculate kitchen. I was so fucking angry at my brother that if I didn’t do something productive, I was going to go bat shit crazy, or kick my brother’s ass. So, I was therapy cleaning. Jasper was already here, jamming with Edward in the family room. We were just waiting for Emmett and Rose. However, from the bitchy text I received from Rosalie, I doubted she wanted anything to do with her husband.

She was so over it.

Hell, we all were.

I heard the door rattle and I put down my handy-dandy bottle of bleach. Rose walked in, looking immaculate and ready to kill. “Hey, Rose,” I said, arching a brow. “No bloodshed on my hardwood floors.”

“I’ll save the maiming for our house, but I wanted to be here to hear what you guys had to say,” she said coldly. I knew she was throwing up her walls, acting like the standoffish bitch I’d met so many years ago in my dorm room of Emerson University. The girl who had her innocence stolen away by five monsters during her freshman year at Northwestern University. I knew better, though. She was trying not to let the hurt show. I walked over to her, wrapping my arms around her neck and she crumbled. She sobbed for a few moments before stepping back, dabbing her eyes with some tissues. “Sorry. I’m just so angry with him. I’ve called my parents and I’m this close to flying back to be with them. I can’t be in a relationship like this, Bells. I just can’t.”

“Nor should you have to be,” I said, rubbing her arm. “I’m honestly shocked at Emmett’s behavior, really.”

“I’m not,” she muttered. “Ever since you guys started to really hit it big, Emmett wanted more. He lived for the limelight, really.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. We sat down at our kitchen table. I poured us both a cup of coffee. Rose spiked hers with some alcohol she had in a flask from her purse.

“Emmett only mentioned it when he was really drunk, but he’s jealous of you and Edward. You and he get _all_ of the attention while Emmett just played the drums. He wanted to be noticed and not for just his music skills. That’s when he started the partying,” Rose said, her face bright red.

“He thinks that acting like a fool is going to make us, make _him_ …” I trailed off, trying to understand my brother’s logic. “My brother’s an idiot.”

“I didn’t marry him for his brains, that’s for sure,” Rose quipped wryly. “I just miss him. My Emmett. Not the fame whore.”

I snorted humorlessly. “That’s a perfect description,” I deadpanned. “He is a fame whore. But it’s more than the reaction to the celebrity, it’s the drinking and using drugs.”

“He’s using drugs?” Rose snarled.

“I think. I don’t know. He seemed high last night, Rose,” I frowned. “His eyes were glazed over.”

She huffed out a breath, reaching into her purse and searching for something. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She’d picked up smoking during our first tour and was quite addicted. It helped calm her nerves. With Emmett’s bullshit, I didn’t blame her, really. “I’m going outside. Let me know when Emmett gets here,” she growled. She walked outside and lit up almost immediately.

I padded to the family room, sitting down next to my husband. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and bare feet. On his head was a backwards cap and his guitar was in his lap, idly fingering some melodies. Jasper was on the one of the chairs, holding a beer and flipping through Edward’s notebook of new music. “Rose is here,” I said.

“I heard her talking in the kitchen,” Edward said, putting the guitar in its stand and opening his arms for me. I snuggled down on his lap, curling against his muscular body. “Did I hear correctly? He’s jealous of us?”

“You did,” Jasper said, closing the notebook. “Even though Emmett is the older brother, he always felt like he was in Bella’s shadow. He mentioned it to me when you guys got some cover for _Entertainment Weekly_ , being the hottest young couple in music.”

“So, we’re the last to know?” I asked, my brows furrowed. “Why didn’t he talk to us?”

“He was embarrassed. Not that it excuses his behavior,” Jasper shrugged. “I get where he’s coming from. I’m in the front with the band, even singing a few songs as lead, but nowhere near as popular as you two. You are the Cinderella and Prince Charming of the music scene. Emmett and I are just lowly servants.” He chuckled, taking a long pull from his beer. “I’m fine with the celebrity that I have. I don’t want anymore, really. I can still go out to the supermarket and not be recognized. You guys have to wear some insane disguises.”

“Ugh, I hate the blonde wig,” I grumbled. “That shit itches.”

“Amen,” Edward scowled. He had to wear a wig or a hat when he went out since his hair was so unique. “But, how do we approach it? Do we acknowledge that we know about Emmett’s complaint? Or just lay down the law?”

“We need to understand the reasoning behind it before we can lay down the law, Edward,” I said. “Getting into his mind and telling him that we know about his jealousy will help us get over this obstacle. You know?”

“I hope so, because if this shit continues, we’ll need to look for a new fucking drummer,” Jasper sighed.

I looked at Edward and he made a face, nodding solemnly. I hated that we were going to give Emmett an ultimatum, but it might just be what he needs to get his ass back in order.

Rose came back in, asking about the Grammys and avoiding the topic of Emmett. She was sitting primly on one of the overstuffed chairs. Her posture was tense and she looked so anxious. The anxiety kicked up a notch when the door opened and Kellan, along with Alice and Emmett, came walking into the house. I moved off Edward’s lap, threading my fingers with his. Alice came in, sitting down next to me while Kellan took the other overstuffed chair and Emmett sat down heavily on one of the ottomans.

I’d seen my brother hungover, but he looked like he was feeling awful. His eyes were red-rimmed and his clothes were a disheveled mess. Rose’s nose wrinkled and I knew that she probably smelled another woman’s perfume on his body. “I think you can gather why we called this band meeting,” Edward said slowly, his voice was low and anger evident.

“The pictures in the tabloids,” Emmett muttered, playing with his wedding band.

“That’s part of it,” Edward sighed. “Before we talk about all of that, I have a question for you and I need you to be honest with me. Are you jealous of me and your sister?”

“Where did you hear that?” Emmett asked, his eyes wide.

“From Rose and Jasper,” I answered.

“You were supposed to keep that a secret,” Emmett snarled, glaring at both of them. His face was red with fury and betrayal.

“And you were supposed to keep your vows,” Rose bit back. “I’ll keep your secrets when you can keep it in your fucking pants!”

“Okay, calm down,” Kellan said, holding up his hands. “Emmett, are you jealous of Edward and Bella?”

“A little,” he shrugged.

“Be honest, Emmett,” I snapped.

“Fine! I am. It’s all about them and it’s like Jasper and I aren’t even there!” Emmett said, thrusting his hands into his cropped brown hair. “I know that they are the singers of the band, but we’re important, too.”

“And that is causing you to fuck around on your wife because …?” Rose growled. Emmett didn’t say anything. He just gave Rose a scathing look, which she gave right back.

“One thing at a time. We’ll discuss Emmett’s marital indiscretions in a moment,” Kellan said. “Our concern for the band is these tabloid pictures and rumors floating around. We have an image to maintain, Emmett, and this is _not_ promoting it. I’d rather have the band’s name be associated with positive things, not your whoring around. We’re trending on twitter and it’s not because we won four Grammy awards last night. It’s because of these pictures!” He tossed down the pictures that were on Edward’s phone.

“We pride ourselves on our integrity, Emmett. This is not showing integrity,” Edward said quietly, his hand tightening around mine. I could see the flush creeping up his neck. It only came out when he was beyond angry.  

“On top of these photos, Emmett, there was a rumor that you were doing cocaine off a stripper’s stomach,” Kellan barked. Emmett’s eyes clamped shut and he pressed the heels of his hands to his forehead. “Is it true?”

“One line,” Emmett whispered. “It was a dare.” Rose scoffed, getting up and stomping outside. Emmett looked at her, grimacing before turning back to Kellan. “I don’t do that often.”

“You shouldn’t do that. Ever,” I seethed.

“How much do you remember from last night, Emmett?” Kellan asked, sitting back and glaring at my brother.

“The first time we went up to the stage,” Emmett shrugged. “I had a flask of Johnny Walker Black in my coat pocket, taking a few hits every time the host said Grammy – making a drinking game out of it, you know? After that? It was a blur until I ended up on Alice’s doorstep.”

“How often are you drunk like that, Em?” I asked.

“Only when we’re out partying. During the tours and when we’re recording, I’m good,” Emmett explained.

“Unfortunately, the partying is a necessary part of this life, Emmett. It’s how we schmooze and get our names out there,” Kellan said. “And I don’t really believe you about the frequency you have these benders. Do you remember Memphis? Atlanta? Chicago? Those were at least three times where I had to come and get you from some random person’s home. You were passed out cold.”

“What do you want me to do?” he asked, exasperated.

“You need to get your shit together, Emmett,” Edward said, his ire barely contained. “I love you like a brother, but this behavior is causing a rift in the band and we don’t trust you.”

“Are you saying I have to go to rehab?” Emmett asked.

“I think it might be a step in the right direction,” I whispered. “You have a problem, Brother Bear. I think that the next few months, prior to our tour, you need to focus on you and focus on your marriage. Rose is done with your shenanigans.”

“Your sister is right,” Rose said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I love you, Emmett, but I can’t stand this.” She pursed her lips. “We need to talk, seriously talk, about our future. I want a family. I want a husband who is devoted to me, who honors our vows that we took in front of our friends and family. Each time you …” Rose wiped her cheek, batting away a tear. “Each time you fuck around on me, it kills me. Am I not enough for you?”

“Rosie, I love you more than words can describe,” Emmett whispered.

“I don’t believe you,” she choked out. “If you loved me that much, you wouldn’t be making these stupid decisions!” She flung her hands in the air. “I’ll be at home. When you’re done here, we can finish our conversation in the privacy of our own home.” I got up, hugging Rose. She let out a quiet sob, leaving our house and running across the street to hers.

“Should I go and check on her?” Alice asked.

“Just give her time,” I said, sitting back down and glaring at my brother. “Are you happy, Emmett?”

“No. I’m miserable,” he groaned.

“You have a lot to think about, Em,” Jasper said. “I love you like a brother, but right now, I’m pretty fucking ashamed of you. You made your wife cry. You lied to us! I think that going to rehab is the first step in order for you to make amends. For our performances for Jimmy Kimmel and _Saturday Night Live,_ we can have Nessie play for us.” Nessie was one of the performers we worked with when we started working with Twilight Records.

“Wait, we got Kimmel and _SNL?_ ” Emmett asked. “But …”

“You have to earn it, Emmett,” I said. “Don’t you get that?”

“I do,” he sighed, moving and sitting down in the chair that Rose was in earlier. “I’m sorry.”

“You can say the words, but they won’t mean anything until we see a difference, Emmett,” Edward said. “Essentially, you have to use the next two months getting yourself together. No more drinking. No more drugs. No more sleeping around with random women. If you can’t do that, then we will find someone to fill your spot. Permanently.”

“Do you all feel that way?” Emmett asked. Kellan and Jasper nodded. Alice didn’t say anything, but she gave Emmett a sympathetic smile. “Isabelly?”

“Don’t …” I said. “I’m not Isabelly. I haven’t been her for almost ten years. Don’t think that calling me my childhood name will make everything alright. You made a fool of yourself, Emmett McCarty Swan. Dad called me and he was ashamed to call you his son. I agree with them and I need you to get better. Not for us, but for yourself. This path is a destructive one. I don’t want to lose my brother.” I got up, kissing Edward’s lips and running upstairs to my bedroom. I needed to get away from this. I was still exhausted from being roused so early by my father’s incessant phone calls. I just crawled into bed, hugging Edward’s pillow.

I vaguely heard the door open and our guests had left. Edward came up the stairs, stripping off his t-shirt and shimmying off his jeans, crawling into bed with me. “Kellan’s taking Emmett to a rehab facility in the morning,” Edward whispered against my skin. “However, Emmett is heading over to his house to deal with Hurricane Rosalie. He may not survive.”

“She may not let him in,” I said, turning in his arms. “Do you think he’ll change?”

“You tell me. You lived with him for how many years?” Edward quipped, his hands massaging my back.

“He’s as stubborn as they come. He’ll dig his heels in. If he believed that he wasn’t doing anything wrong, he won’t change. Or, he’ll change, but only after it’s too late,” I frowned. Edward cupped my chin, forcing me to look up into his evergreen eyes. “I don’t know if this will work.”

“We’ll just have to hope that it will, beautiful,” he sighed, kissing my nose. “Now, let’s take a nap and then I’ll make you some dinner.”

“Edward, you still can’t cook,” I giggled.

“Let me rephrase. Order you some Chinese,” he quipped, burying his nose into my shoulder. “Sleep, Mrs. Cullen. We were up too early.”

“Only rock stars like us would think that three in the afternoon is too early,” I deadpanned.

“And it wasn’t due to our rock star status; it was because I was making love to my fuck-hot wife,” he purred. “Hmmmm, maybe I’ll have to have an appetizer before our nap.” He slid down my body and proceeded to remove my leggings, licking my pussy until I screamed. I had no trouble falling asleep after that, curled up in Edward’s arms.

xx LMDC xx

The next day, we received a text from Kellan. He said that he dropped Emmett off at New Hope Rehab Clinic in Palm Springs. It was supposed to be one of the best for his type of addiction to drugs and alcohol. Rose went with them and said that she would use their time apart to think about their future as a couple. She still loved him, but his behavior was ruining their relationship. But, if I were her, I would have left him.

I couldn’t handle the mere idea of being cheated on. The one thing I knew that was constant was Edward’s love for me and my love for him. If that ever changed and he did cheat on me, I’d walk out sooner than a blink of an eye. He’d feel the same way, too. However, I knew that we were forever. We survived my ordeal with Jacob, the craziness of Emerson University, our first year of marriage being on the road with the band and the crazy lifestyle of being in the music business. We were stronger because of it.

I was in the front room, noodling on the grand piano when Alice breezed in. I was trying to distract myself from what my brother was dealing with and his demons. My kitchen was sparkling and my bathrooms were practically glowing from my stress-cleaning. “Hey, Bells,” she sang. “I’ve got the itinerary for your trip to New York for _SNL._ We need to talk about what you’re wearing and such.”

“When do we leave?” I asked, turning around on the piano bench.

“Thursday morning,” she said, handing me the sheet. “Do you have someone to take Emmett’s place?”

“I know that Edward called Nessie, but she’s about ready to have a baby. It’s a little hard to play the drums when you are nine months pregnant,” I chuckled. “Timmy, from the Cliffhangers, is also a seasoned drummer. He’s going to step in. We’re rehearsing tomorrow. What about Kimmel?”

“Oh! That’s next week, also on Thursday here in Los Angeles,” she said, checking her phone. “I’m also talking to Jimmy Fallon, but that will happen closer to the beginning of your _Midnight Sun_ tour, more like mid-May Hopefully, Emmett will be back by then.” She put her phone away. “Do you want to go shopping for your clothes for your trip to New York?”

“You are too funny, Alice. Anything to go shopping, hmmm?” I quipped. “It’s an addiction, girl.”

“I figured you’d need to be distracted since Emmett entered rehab,” Alice shrugged, giving me a supportive grin. I blushed, biting my lip. She had me pegged. “Hell, I need to be distracted. I’m completely shocked that he did all of that shit! Alcohol? Drugs? Cheating on Rosalie? That’s bullshit!! Complete bullshit!”

“You’re not the only one,” I said, getting up. “Let me go tell Edward that we’re going out and then we’ll go.” I padded to the backyard where Edward was working on our massive pool, cleaning it and power washing the patio. He was shirtless and his muscles were glistening in the sunlight. I wanted to lick his abs. _Behave, Cullen. Don’t perv over your hubby._ “Handsome?”

“What’s up, love?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. I bit back a groan. He was so fucking perfect. He blushed, chuckling as we walked over to me. “I can see you swooning, Mrs. Cullen. Don’t pass out in the pool.”

“Right,” I said, waving my hand in front of my face. “You’re just too hot to handle, Edward. All muscly, sweaty and tattoo-y.”

“I’ll still be all muscly, sweaty and tattoo-y when you are done telling me what you came out her to say, beautiful,” he laughed. I rolled my eyes, smacking his chest. “What’s up?”

“Your sister is here and we’re going shopping for our trip to New York for _SNL,_ ” I explained, ogling his bare chest. In the five years since we’d been together, Edward’s body had changed. He was lean in college, but with the help of a daily trainer, his muscles were defined and so sexy, almost sculpted out of marble. He also had some more chest hair on his torso, covering his well-proportioned pecs and his happy trail, leading to his huge cock. His face was more chiseled, but when he smiled, he was still the same nerdy husband I married almost five years ago. Edward waved his hand in front of my eyes, forcing me to look up into his amused jade-colored orbs. “Sorry. I’m just drooling over your studly physique.”

“I’m hot. I know it,” he quipped, posing like a body builder. _Not. Helping._

“Yeah, stop that or I will seriously throw you down onto the chaise lounge and fuck you into tomorrow,” I moaned. “Alice. Me. Shopping. Kay?”

“Kay,” he said, leaning forward, kissing my lips. “Love you, _cantante_.”

“I adore you,” I breathed, biting down on his lower lip. “We are having some naked fun time when I get home. Don’t change. Capische? My tongue has a date with your abs.”

“Oh, I see how it is. You only love me for my body,” he laughed.

“Duh,” I sang, walking back into the house and picking up my purse. I twisted my hair into a loose knot atop my head, grabbing Alice’s hand and leading her out to my garage. I loved Alice and always will, but her driving still sucked. I valued my life, thank you very much. Plus, I wanted to drive my baby, my silver Jaguar. It was a present from my husband when “La Musica del Cuore” hit number one on the Billboard Charts. As much as I was upset that they had put it on the CD, but I was still very proud of him. The song was beautiful and undeniably so. It deserved every ounce of praised it received. Knowing that it was written for me, too? It gave me a thrill, as well. I also spoiled my sexy hubby. I got him an Aston Martin. Plus, we had a Range Rover and our ever-faithful Volvo.

Some things just never change.

I drove us to Los Angeles. As much as I wanted to go to Target, Walmart and every day, _normal_ stores, I drove us to Rodeo Drive. I knew that we had a look we needed to maintain and Alice was adamant that we always got the best. Even with all of our donations to various charities, we still raked in the money. We were neck and neck with Taylor Swift in net sales. Hell, with this North American tour, we may even overtake her.

Not that I’m comparing or anything.

_Yes, I was._

“Oooh, let’s go to Gucci first,” Alice said.

“I don’t like the way their clothes fit on me, Ali,” I pouted. “It’s like they are cut for women who have double-D breasts. That ain’t me.”

“You could get breast implants,” Alice suggested, giving me smirk.

“Yeah, no,” I said. “Let’s shoot for Giorgio Armani, Agent Provocateur, Dior, Dior Homme, Max Mara and Miu Miu. I know those places have things that will fit me. And Edward, too.”

“Has he heard anything from Dior Homme?” Alice asked.

“We both did,” I blushed. “We’re going to be their faces for their fragrances and spring line for 2017.”

“Shut. Up!” Alice squealed. “No way! That’s awesome! Did you ever think you’d be a model?”

“Pssh, no! I’m too short and disproportionate,” I snickered, using the valet to park my baby. I handed him a fifty dollar bill. “One scratch on her and I’ll have your balls for lunch. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, taking the keys from me.

“You are turning into Rosalie more and more every day,” Alice quipped, lacing her arm with mine. “Do you mind if we stop at Prada and Versace, too? I think they’re having a sale.”

“Got it, Pix,” I smiled, walking into our first stop, Dior. I spent way too much money on clothes and accessories that Edward and I didn’t need, but Alice insisted we look fashion-forward. Following that, we both spent a small fortune on lacy, naughty things at Agent Provocateur. Edward loved sexy lingerie. More specifically, tearing said sexy lingerie from my body. Does he know how much those panties cost? Yeesh!

After indulging in some retail therapy, Alice and I decided to manicures and pedicures. My manicure from the Grammy’s was starting to chip and I wanted to treat my best friend to some pampering. As we settled into the seats in the salon, Alice pulled out her cell phone. “Adele wanted me to show you pictures of Walter and Ralph. They are getting so big,” Alice cooed, handing me her phone.

“Speaking of models, these kids should do it. They are gorgeous,” I said, flipping through the photos. “Those eyes and pudgy little cheeks! When is Adele having more babies?”

“Ha! Never. She said that these two little cherubs are it for her,” Alice snickered. “She loves them and loves her boyfriend, but her body was not built for popping out babies. From what she described, she was sick the entire pregnancy. She had to be admitted several times for being malnourished and dehydrated. She couldn’t keep anything down.”

“Yikes,” I cringed.

“Speaking of babies. When are you and Edward going to start popping out kids? Esme and Carlisle are chomping at the bit,” Alice giggled.

“Probably after the tour. I have an appointment with my OB/GYN just prior to our tour. I’m getting one last shot just before we go and then not getting one until we get pregnant,” I answered.

“You realize your tour is longer than three months, Bells,” Alice said.

“I do, but the doctor said that it would probably take a while for my body to get used to not having the artificial hormones. We probably won’t get pregnant right away,” I explained. “You’ll be an aunt. I have no doubt, but you have to be patient.”

“Okay, okay. I just want another baby to spoil. I know that me and pregnancy are not a good mix, so I’m most likely not going to have kids,” she shrugged.

“What? Why?” I asked.

“I could pass down my illness to my children,” she said. “I don’t want that. It’s hell trying to remember to take my meds. Plus, half of them cause birth defects. I can’t handle _not_ being on them. I’m a mess. If I do have children, a _long_ time from now, I’ll probably adopt. I need to be happy with me and my decisions. You know?”

“I do. Hearing you say this is … there are no words, Ali,” I whispered.

“I’ve grown up,” she said. “What I did to Jasper was unfair to him and selfish. He had no choice and it was our undoing as a couple. Do I still love him? Yes, I do. I always will but we’re better as friends.”

“You don’t harbor any negative feelings because of his relationship with Nia?” I asked.

“Nope. In fact, I think that Nia is a better fit for him. I hope they get their happily ever after,” Alice said, smiling wistfully.

My cell phone rang from my purse. I waggled my fingers. The technician reached into my purse, handing me my cell phone. It was Rosalie. “Hello?”

“Hey, Bells,” she said, her voice empty. She sounded like she did when she was in Chicago, at the trail of Royce, the man who had raped her.

“Rose, are you okay?” I asked.

“No. I’m not,” she sighed. “I’m …” She blew out a breath. “I’m getting out of here. I’m going to visit my family in New York. I can’t be here. When I was driving back, filling up my gas tank, some guy recognized me as Emmett’s wife. He said horrible things about me, saying that I didn’t give Emmett enough pussy to force him to stray.” She choked out a sob. “Do you hate me?”

“No, sweetheart,” I said. “I understand why you’re upset, Rose.”

“As much as I want to support Emmett, I have to do what’s best for me,” she sniffled. “Can you check on the house for me while I’m gone? I’ve forwarded my mail to my parent’s home, but didn’t do anything about Emmett’s.”

“Of course. Anything,” I murmured. “Do you think you’ll be back?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “Regardless of that, I do love you like a sister. You’re my best friend and I don’t want to lose that with you, Bells. I just can’t … If you need to get ahold of me, call my mom. I’m turning off this phone. I love you, Bells.” She hung up before I could respond.

“What did she say?” Alice asked as I woodenly put the cell phone in my lap. “Bella?”

“She’s going back to New York and spending time with her family,” I said. “But, I don’t think she’s coming back.” Tears brimmed in my eyes and fell freely down my cheeks. Alice motioned to the technicians and our beauty treatments were finished and paid for. We left. I dropped Alice off at her townhouse before driving back to my house. Edward was waiting for me inside. I ran into his arms, burying my nose into his neck. “She’s gone, Edward.”

“I know, baby,” he cooed. He held me as I cried. Everything was changing and I wasn’t ready for those changes.

xx LMDC xx

We settled into the suite at The Peninsula Hotel in New York City. We were all staying in the suite. It was plenty big enough for us. Edward and I were in the master suite while Jasper and Nia were staying in the one of the two smaller rooms. Timmy was in the other room. He was wandering around the suite, his eyes huge. Alice was in a smaller suite across the hall from Kellan on the floor below. “So, this is how the other life lives,” he chuckled, running his fingers along the grand piano. “The Cliffhangers are still spending their time at a Super 8.”

“Stop it,” Edward snorted. “You guys are just as popular as we are.”

“Pssh, no we’re not,” Timmy snickered. “Yes, we’re in the same genre and have similar fans, but we are still in need of having regular jobs in order to continue playing music. Your job is making the music. But, you’re all sorts of awesome and I do appreciate the opportunity to play with you.”

“We’re glad you’re here, too,” I smiled, sitting down on the opulent sofa. I was putting on a good show, but I was still very upset about what had happened with my brother. I had a phone call into Barbie, Rose’s mom, but I had yet to hear from either one. I wanted to see her before we flew back to Los Angeles on Tuesday. “Did you ever think you’d be playing on _Saturday Night Live?_ ”

“Did you?” Timmy asked, plopping down on an ottoman. “I feel bad that Emmett isn’t here to experience this. He was an original member of the band.”

“He still is,” Edward smiled, taking my hand. “He’s dealing with some personal issues. Regardless of what the tabloids say, we value our integrity and family always comes first. Emmett needed help and he’s getting it. Now, we have a few hours before we have some time to rehearse on the set of _SNL._ Do you want to go out to eat or get some room service?”

“I’m thinking room service,” Jasper yawned. “The evil pixie had us up at o’dark thirty to catch our flight. I want a nap.”

“I’m in agreement,” Timmy said, wrinkling his nose. “Yes, the private jet was awesome, but it was too early this morning.”

“Then, we’re getting room service,” Edward said. “We need to be on the road by six. So, dinner will be ready by four-thirty and we’ll leave at a quarter after five.” Timmy, Jasper and Nia went down the hallway to their rooms. Edward ordered the meal and we also went into our room, crashing for a few hour long nap.

We ate dinner, a meal that was perfectly prepared by the hotel, before we got into the limo and drove to the studio for our rehearsal. All of our equipment had been delivered from the plane and was set up according to the specs that Kellan had described. We met up with the director and a few of the cast members. We were all in stitches and somehow, Edward and I got roped into being in a sketch. I was nervous since I was not an actress by any stretch of the imagination. However, the director made promises that it would be a small walk-on role with minimal speaking.

With that, they left and we had the use of the stage. We wanted to get comfortable in the new set up. We also wanted to do a sound check, getting the right balance between the instruments and voices. Plugging in and putting in our ear protection, we began our warm up. Working with the sound engineers, we managed to get in an amazing run-through of our two pieces, including “La Musica del Cuore”. Timmy melded into our groove easily, even adding some more flourishes to our pieces and making them sound better.

When we were done with our rehearsal, Edward and I got our scripts for the sketch we were performing in. It was going to be after our first performance, after the commercial break. We were going to be some groupies, in line for a Breaking Midnight meet-and-greet, wanting to meet the lead singers. The guest host, Robert Pattinson, was going to act like Edward and one of the female performers was going to be me. The premise was funny and I figured it would make us look more human, as opposed to the fantasies people concocted of us. We had to arrive at the studio around eight the following day for a few rehearsals with Robert and the cast.

Just as we were leaving, Edward arched a brow at the director. “I like the idea of this sketch, but I want your assurances that this is the script you’ll use. I know that there has been some, um, _drama_ going on following the Grammy Awards,” Edward said, his voice stern.

“We are aware of the situation with your drummer. It’s a touchy subject and it won’t be brought up,” the director assured us. “Our guest host is aware of it, as well. He knows all too well the struggles of living in the limelight and the temptation of the party scene. He never indulged, but he had seen people succumb to the temptation. Now, if there aren’t any more questions, I’ll see you tomorrow at eight for rehearsals and then makeup at ten.” He shook our hands, turning on his heel to leave.

We rode back to the hotel, crashing almost immediately and sleeping late into the following day. It was going to be a long, late night. The next day, we lounged around the suite and did a quick rehearsal, an acoustic version of our set, in the hotel. As we were finishing up, I was walking to take a shower and my phone lit up with a text.

_Bella, it’s Barbie, Rose’s Mom. She’s … she’s struggling with Emmett’s betrayal and needs some time, sweetheart. Rose asked me to share with you that she still loves you and thinks of you like a sister, but she’s in pain. Seeing you is a reminder of what she may lose. Give her some space. She’ll call you when she’s ready. Rose sends her love and best wishes for your performance for tonight. Love, Barbie_

“Shit,” I spat.

“What, beautiful?” asked Edward as he walked into our lavish suite. “Everything okay?”

“I got a text from Barbie, Rose’s mom. She needs time,” I frowned.

“Do you blame her?” Edward said, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Her husband’s infidelities and stupidity were just broadcast all over TMZ and every entertainment station. I had an inkling that she would probably have this sort of reaction.”

“I know, but I had hoped …” I trailed off, leaning my cheek against his warm, muscular chest. “Wishful thinking, I guess. Can I kick my brother’s ass?”

“Get in line, beautiful,” Edward snickered. “Come on. Let’s take a shower together. I need to feel you.” I rolled my eyes, following my husband into the gorgeous bathroom. He took his time stripping me out of my loungewear, groaning when he saw that I wasn’t wearing any underwear. His lips were on mine as we slid into the steamy shower. He kissed me feverishly before kneeling in front of me and taking my pussy into his mouth.

My husband loved licking my pussy, tasting my sex and making me scream with his golden tongue.

And I loved his tongue inside me.

Within minutes, I was a trembling, quivering mess, coming down from an intense orgasm. Edward stood up and his cock is hard, leaking and pressed against my stomach. His eyes were nearly black with desire. I kissed him deeply, tasting my release on his lips. He moaned, bending down and picking me up. He lined up his cock with my still dripping folds and he slammed inside of me. “FUCK!” I barked.

“Exactly, baby,” he growled, squeezing my breast and twisting my nipple ring. I whimpered as his hips began rolling, filling me with his hardness. There was nothing gentle about our lovemaking. I knew that he did love me, but every so often, we’d have these fuck fests. We were in the middle of one now and I needed him to get me off. I need his cock to make me come. “So tight, Bella. Do like my cock inside of you? Fucking you?”

“Yes,” I breathed. “Harder, Edward.”

He leaned back and I pressed my back against the granite tile of the shower. He pounded into me, making my pussy clench around him. I reached between us, where we were joined and rubbed my clit. I could feel his arousal sliding in and out. I was soaked for him and I wasn’t talking about the water. He was angled just right to make me squirt all over his cock. “Oh, Bella,” he grunted. “I can feel you squeezing me. Come for me, beautiful. All over me.” His desire in his voice made my body clamp down around him and my arousal increased ten-fold. “Oh, fuck! You look so beautiful like this. Tits bouncing as I fuck you … God damn!”

“Edward,” I gasped, my fingers making tight circles over my clit. “I’m …” He grunted as he pushed out of me, but kept me in his arms as I covered him, spraying both of us with my release. I barely calmed when he slammed back into me and thrusting hard and fast. I was lost to the sensations, my body feeling every inch of him. He kissed me deeply as he filled me with his release. I could feel his warmth and it spread all throughout my body. Boneless, he slid to the ground and held me in his arms as we calmed down from our fast and explosive fucking. His finger ran through my tangled, wet curls. “Hmmmm,” I hummed.

“Are you coherent, beautiful?” he quipped, squeezing my ass.

“Nope. You fucked my brains out,” I giggled, kissing his neck and moving up to take his lips with mine. “I love you, Edward.”

“I adore you, Bella,” he purred, slipping out of me. He frowned, as did I, losing our intimate connection. “Do you think they all heard?”

“Probably, but Jasper’s used to it. He and Nia can give us a run for our money,” I snickered, getting up and reaching for my shampoo. Edward got up, enfolding his arms around my waist as he nuzzled my neck. “Hey, bub, I’ve got to shower and get ready. I can’t do that with a growth on my back.”

“I wanted to cuddle you, baby,” he said, pressing soft kisses to my neck. “Most women want to be cuddled after they have sex.” His hands wandered along my flat stomach and up to my breasts.

“I know you,” I said, trying to keep the breathiness out of my voice. He was getting me riled up again. “Your type of cuddling leads to more sex.”

“You say this like it’s a bad thing,” he chuckled darkly, his fingers finding my slick folds and idly toying with my clit. “I can’t get enough of you, Mrs. Cullen. All I want is you to be naked, all of the time, so I can make love to you any time we want.” With his other hand, he turned my head and kissed me deeply, bringing to orgasm again with his fingers.

Our shower ended up being over an hour long. It wasn’t until Alice started banging on the locked bathroom door that we broke apart and actually _showered._ Edward and I couldn’t help it that we were insatiable for each other. Okay, we could, but that wasn’t nearly enough fun.

We ate dinner as a band before heading to the studio. Edward and I got fitted for our costumes, which were a pair of jeans and some insanely bedazzled Breaking Midnight shirts. I was going to have my hair braided with an ‘I Love Edward Cullen’ tattoo on my cheek. Edward was going to have ‘Bella Cullen is my dream girl’ on his chest. We were essentially going to be hanging on the actors playing us until security was going to haul us away, effectively ending the sketch.

The cast was hysterically funny and Robert had a dry wit. He was also the doppelganger to my husband. However, my Edward was taller and more muscular, thanks to his extensive workout regimen. Rob, as he preferred to be called, was leaner and had darker hair, thanks to a recent film he’d just finished. The huge difference was in the voices. Edward had a rougher voice, deep and resonant. Rob’s voice was smooth and had a lilting English accent. I liked the accent a lot.

_I wonder if Edward would talk dirty to me in an English accent? Hmmmm …_

No, that would be creepy.

 We rehearsed the sketch a couple of times before heading into hair and makeup. Timmy and Jasper were already ready to go, sitting in the green room. Alice was going to be working with the makeup artists since she was so particular about how we looked. My hair was curled and texturized, while my makeup was dark and smoky. Edward’s hair was tousled and he had some light makeup put onto his face to even out his skin tone. We got dressed into our clothes for the first performance, waiting for the show to begin.

Rob was hysterical, poking fun at himself and the various films he’d been in, including a supernatural romance based on some vampire novels. He also shared some scary moments when he was being attacked by a cow in another movie. As he was finishing his monologue, two of the cast members, dressed up as a cow, ran him off the stage and broke into a fake ‘commercial.’

Forty-five minutes passed and soon we were getting ready to perform. Timmy settled behind the drums and we were all getting situated with our instruments and microphones. The sound technician made sure that my ear protection was working properly. With a smile, I thanked him as Rob introduced us. Timmy began the count off to one of our faster songs from our sophomore album, “Baying at the Silver Moon.” I sang the song, giving the piece a haunted feeling with my ethereal verses, juxtaposed with the hard-hitting chorus. Edward’s voice joined mine during the bridge, making the song sound more out of this world. With a flourish, the song ended and the crowd went wild.

The lights dimmed and we went backstage, changing into our costumes for our sketch. After the too-short commercial break, the sketch began. I was an anxious mess. Edward, who was standing behind me, was holding my hand and whispering that we were going to be fine. We didn’t have many lines. Okay, I had one and I had to jump into Rob’s arms and exclaim that I wanted him to be the father to my babies. As nice as Rob was, I felt guilty saying that since I wanted my _husband_ to father my babies but Rob was imitating my husband …

_Ugh, my head hurts trying to figure this thing out._

We were shuffled closer in the line to our doppelgangers. The psycho fans they had approaching them were almost spot on with some of the more intense fan encounters we’d had. On top of that, Rob’s reactions were exactly the same to what my husband did with the encounters. When we got to the front, I burst through the line and hopped up into Rob’s arms. With wide eyes and a sex-kitten voice, I breathed, “I want you to father my babies,” before laying one on him. I was pulled away from Rob and I struggled as Edward did his nerdy approach, pretending to propose to the fake Bella. However, he’s ushered off, screaming his undying love for her. The lights go dim and we head back into the dressing room to change into our next outfits for the final song.

“Alice, can I get a moment with my wife?” Edward asked.

“Sure,” she said after she had removed our super fan makeup. “Everything okay?”

“It will be,” he smirked. Alice left the dressing room. I was soon enfolded into a passionate embrace. Edward’s lips were claiming me and I was melting in his arms. We pulled apart, breathless. “I know it was scripted, but I hated you kissing him, beautiful.”

“His lips were not yours,” I said, running my fingers along his pink, pouty mouth. “Too thin and he tried to shove his tongue into my mouth.”

“That’s because you’re just so kissable,” Edward growled, nipping at my lips. “But, you’re mine, _cantante_.”

“I love it when you get possessive,” I giggled, kissing him again and moaning quietly when his hands cupped my ass. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his slender waist. We made out until Alice’s insistent knocking broke us apart. “To be continued?” I purred.

“What do you think?” Edward replied, bucking his hips and pushing his arousal right where I needed it. Another round of obnoxious rapping forced him to put me down and he opened the door. “You are a cock blocker, Mary Alice Cullen.”

“And you’re going on in about fifteen minutes. I have to work my magic, Green Eyed Freak,” she quipped back. “Your wife has hickeys.”

“I do not!” I said, scrambling in front of the mirror. “Bitch, you lie!”

“Meh,” Alice shrugged, pushing me down into the chair. “I do have to fix your lipstick since someone had to kiss it off.”

“And it was fucking worth it,” Edward retorted, sitting down as the other makeup artist fluffed his hair and reapplied his face.

The second performance was Edward’s time to shine. He sang “La Musica del Cuore” and I could see all of the women in the audience swoon as he looked at me, singing about his undying love for me. As I sang the harmony for the song, I tried to relay my feelings for him, but we both knew that we were forever.

After that performance, we waited for the end of the show and we gathered on the stage as Rob thanked everyone for the experience and for us for performing. The house band began playing and the credits rolled. Rob pulled Edward and me aside. “I know that this is highly unorthodox, but my latest film is in the post production phase and we’re working on the music for it. Several of your songs really fit with the feeling of the movie. Would you be willing to write something for it?” he asked.

“Definitely,” Edward smiled. “What’s the movie about?”

“It’s futuristic, set in space,” Rob explained. “The first song you sang was perfect for the soundtrack and we need a song with the theme in it, too. I’m a huge fan and I would love for you to contribute something.”

“Whatever you need, man,” Edward nodded.

“Excellent!” Rob beamed. “I’ll have the producers contact your manager with more details, but I’m certain that things will go smoothly. It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to doing it again.” He shook Edward’s hand and hugged me, kissing my cheek.

“You’re not going to the after party?” Jasper asked.

“Unfortunately not,” Rob said. “I have to catch a red eye to London for some reshoots for another film. The next time I’m in Los Angeles, we’ll definitely have to get together. Cheers!” He shook Jasper and Timmy’s hands, weaving through the crowd to the dressing rooms.

After some discussion, we decided not to go to the after party either. Edward wanted to continue where he left off with his Possessiveward in the dressing room and I was all about that. Jasper and Nia ended up going out, but to a club with Timmy but ended coming back to the suite after an hour, or so they said. The next morning, Nia was scowling as she scrolled through her phone. “Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck!” she spat.

“What?” Edward asked.

“Emmett’s absence was noticed on _SNL_ and some idiots are claiming that he’s been ousted from the band,” she scowled. “Oh, and there’s more rumors that Bella’s pregnant with Emmett’s lovechild.”

“I think I’m going to puke,” I moaned. “He’s my brother! These people are fucking sick.”

“However, the worst is this,” Nia grimaced, handing me her phone.

I scrolled through it, my anger spiking. It was from a tabloid magazine and website, but the fact the article was published was sickening.

_ Is There Trouble in Breaking Midnight Paradise? _

_Fresh off their four Grammy wins, the popular band, Breaking Midnight, appeared on_ Saturday Night Live _. They sounded amazing and the lusty vibes coming off the married lead singers, Edward and Bella Cullen, were palpable. One noticeable difference was the absence of their longtime drummer and brother of Bella Cullen, Emmett Swan. It is rumored that he has entered rehab at the suggestion of his band mates and his wife of four years, Rosalie Hale-Swan._

_However, a woman has stepped forward, claiming that she is pregnant with Emmett’s baby. What will this mean for the band?  Will Emmett’s absence become a permanent one? Only time will tell, folks. For now, we’re on baby watch._

I handed Nia her phone and stomped away, angry at the tabloid for publishing the story. Unfortunately, with Emmett’s behavior, it could be feasible that he did have a bastard child out there.

The fame whore strikes again. And he’s not even here. _Fuck. My. Life._

**A/N: Second chapter … I hope you’re still with me. Thank you for everyone who has read and reviewed. Pictures from this chapter are up on my blog (link for that is on my profile). You can also find me on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and twitter, too.**

**There will be drama, angst, humor, lemons and a lot of music. Now, I’m not going to lie. I’m not a poet. When Breaking Midnight performs their original music, I will _NOT_ be posting lyrics unless I write something awe-inspiring. LOL. Up next will be preparations for their tour and the fallout from the article that was posted at the end of this chapter. What will it mean for Emmett and Rose? Are the baby rumors true? Leave me some loving and guesses. Thanks for reading! ;-)**

 

 

 

 

 


	3. One Step Forward ...

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be preparations for their tour and the fallout from the article that was posted at the end of this chapter. What will it mean for Emmett and Rose? Are the baby rumors true?**

**Chapter Three: One Step Forward …**

**EPOV**

“We do not have a comment at this time,” Nia said exasperatedly into her cell phone. “No, we don’t want to give an interview. Please, respect the privacy of our band members during this time.” She pinched her nose and growled. “We’ll keep that in mind. I have your number. Good day.” She angrily jabbed her thumb on her cell phone, tossing it onto the couch in our basement rehearsal space. “It’s been over a month and they still won’t let up! Fucking vultures.”

“They’ve been relentless,” Bella sneered from her spot next to me. Her guitar was in its stand and we were taking a break from our planning our tour, devising our set list. “I swear to fucking God, I want to remove Emmett’s testicles and shove them down his throat. A baby? A baby with some random skank.”

“That’s just a rumor, beautiful,” I said, rubbing her back. “As far as I know, Jenks is working on getting a paternity test done on this alleged baby.”

“What did they want, darlin’?” Jasper asked, tugging Nia into his lap. She snuggled against him, sighing angrily.

“This tabloid rag wanted you guys to go on the record, confirming that Emmett is _out_ of the band and the he’s gonna be a daddy,” Nia said, glaring at her phone. “I reiterated our statement that this was a _private_ matter and that you didn’t have anything to say regarding the situation. Then, they pushed for an interview. You’re not giving a statement; why would you give a damn interview? I mean, really.”

“As much as we’re pissed off at Emmett – again - we do need to solidify our playlist for the tour. We’ve got most of it done,” I said, wrinkling my nose.

“Don’t forget. Alice is coming with some more costumes for the tour in about an hour, too,” Nia reminded us. “This tour coming up faster than you think. We’ve got about another month of rehearsals before we fly out to New York City for our first stop at Madison Square Gardens.”

“I never fucking thought that we’d be playing at Madison Square Gardens,” Jasper said, his voice dream-like. “It’s surreal. Playing at Madison Square Gardens!”

“A sold out show,” Bella added, arching a brow over her glasses.

“Two sold out shows,” Kellan said, breezing into the rehearsal room. We greeted him and he plopped down at the piano. “The first show sold out so quickly, that we added a second.”

It had been six weeks since our performance on _Saturday Night Live_. The news about Emmett had not been what we needed after that successful performance and we had released a statement, asking for privacy and respect in this difficult time. Bella went out to see Emmett, along with Charlie, at his rehab facility and he adamantly denied fathering a child with this woman. It was Charlie that suggested a paternity test, to prove Emmett’s word. Emmett had agreed but the alleged mother refused to do so. Jenks was working on getting a court order to get an amniocentesis done on the baby to prove paternity.

In addition to the drama with Emmett, we dove headlong into rehearsals for our upcoming North American Tour, the _Midnight Sun Tour._ It provided some distraction, but Emmett’s sobriety and his whoring around still weighed heavily on our minds. However, we worked with the engineers to finish creating the stage, graphics for the background display and worked with the designers to create promotional material. We also collaborated with Jared, our executive from Twilight, to make a live recording of the concert, selling it online, along with DVDs through our website and Facebook page.

It had been a very busy few weeks, and it was going to get busier with the upcoming tour.

“So, I just came back from visiting Emmett,” Kellan said. “Jenks had the paperwork delivered to ‘Mom’ to get the amnio.”

“The judge signed off on it?” Bella asked. “I know that it’s risky.”

“The judge agreed to sign off on the test. Jenks was lucky that he was in fairly lenient judge’s courtroom, sympathetic toward Emmett’s pleas of not being involved with this woman. She has the paperwork and now, the balls in her court in getting the test done. It needs to be completed before we go on tour, so she’s got about six weeks before she is in contempt of court,” Kellan explained. “Emmett is a mess, smoking like a chimney. He’s trying to call Rosalie, but her phone’s been disconnected. Have any of you heard from her?”

“I got a text a couple weeks ago,” Bella said, her face darkening. “She was speaking to a divorce attorney.”

“I don’t blame her,” Nia shrugged. “Emmett has hurt her time and time again. I know he’s your brother, Bella, but he’s an idiot.”

“That … _that_ …” she spat. “That thing that is in the rehab facility is _not_ my brother. Idiot is too nice of a term to describe him. I can’t even …” Bella shot up and left the rehearsal space, her face red.

“I should have kept my mouth shut,” Nia whispered, sliding off Jasper’s lap and twisting her watch around her wrist. He wrapped his arm around her, kissing her temple.

“Bella’s not mad at you, darlin’. She’s mad at him and at his behavior,” Jasper soothed.

“I’ll go check on her,” I said. “I’ll be happy when things settle down and return to normal, you know?”

“But, will we be able to return to normal?” Jasper argued. “This whole fiasco has changed the dynamic of the band. We’re practicing without our drummer. Yes, Timmy is on stand-by, but it should be Emmett here. He should have a say on what we put on during these tour dates. I just don’t know if I can trust him again. All of this is just too much. You know?”

“I refuse to give up on him, Jas,” I said, tugging at my hair. “And I do not believe this woman alleging that she’s pregnant with his baby. I spoke with him. He doesn’t remember her!”

“That could because he was too sloshed _to_ remember her,” Jasper deadpanned.

“Jasper, stop,” Nia said softly, putting her hand on Jasper’s arm. “As angry as you are at Emmett, he’s still your friend.”

Jasper sighed, tugging at his hair. “You’re right. I’m just upset because it brings back _unpleasant_ memories of my situation with Alice and babies and all of that craziness. I love Emmett like a brother, but I really want to smack him stupid.”

“You’re in the same boat as my wife,” I snorted humorlessly. “Speaking of which, I’m going to check on her.” I left Jasper, Nia, and Kellan down in the rehearsal room. Climbing the stairs, I found Bella in the kitchen with a bottle of tequila and a shot glass. “Now, _cantante_ that is not the cure to all of your problems.”

“That would be your cock and since we have too much to do, tequila seemed like the next logical choice,” she deadpanned, slamming back a shot.

“Bella,” I murmured, moving the bottle and her glass out of her reach. I took her in my arms, staring into her eyes. “I know you’re upset at Emmett, but this is not the answer.”

“Everything is _changing_ , Edward,” she whispered, her chocolate brown eyes lost and so sad. “I know that I shouldn’t be this upset, but I am. Rose is talking to divorce attorneys. Emmett is in a rehab clinic with a baby mama, trying to bleed him dry. Our band, which was always one of mutual respect, love and fun, is now a laughing stock. Our integrity is _shot_ , Edward.”

“It’s not shot, beautiful,” I said, lifting her onto the counter and stepping between her legs. “We are still one of the most lucrative bands in the country and people are vying to come to our concerts. In regard to Rose, she’s _talking_ to divorce attorneys. That doesn’t mean she’s filing. And Emmett? You and I both saw him the last time. He’s trying to atone for his sins and this allegation of fatherhood is unfounded until she gets the paternity test. However, if she doesn’t, it makes her look like she’s just trying to swindle him out of money. If she does, there is some validity to her claim.”

“What do you think she’s going to do?” Bella asked, her arms wrapping around my neck and toying with the hair at the nape of my neck.

“My guess is that she’s going to _not_ get the test because she doesn’t have a leg to stand on, baby,” I said. “I believe your brother when he says that he hasn’t done anything with her. He may have made poor choices, but I know he’d never do that.”

“There was a point in time where I believed you,” Bella sighed sadly. “But, Emmett has changed so much, Edward. He’s not the same guy.”

“Are you the same girl? No. I’m not the same, either,” I said, cupping her face. “Everybody changes. Some for the better, like you and yours truly.” She snorted, smirking at me. “Some regress, like Emmett. When we saw him the last time at the rehab clinic, he was more like the old Emmett, the easy-going, trustworthy guy from when first broke onto the music scene. I think it made him realize that his partying was getting out of hand.”

“HELLOOOO?” sang Alice. “Anybody here? I’ve got tons of clothes and my puny arms can’t carry it all!”

“We’ll help you in a minute, Ali,” I called back. I stared into Bella’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry for losing it, but it was all just so much,” she whispered, kissing my lips. “I love you, handsome.”

“I love you so much more, beautiful,” I replied against her mouth, deepening our kiss. Bella melted against me, tugging at my too-long hair. I needed Felipe to come and give me a haircut. I was looking like a damn hippie.

“Ugh! Get a room,” Alice scoffed, but I could hear the humor in her voice.

“My house,” I mumbled against my wife’s skin. “You are an interloper, Mary Alice Cullen.” I shot her a look, arching a brow.

“Who still needs help with clothes that are in my car and the clothing rack, too,” she argued, smirking.

“Go get Kellan and Jasper from the basement. I’m kissing my wife,” I said, waving her away.

“And I’m thoroughly enjoying the kissing,” Bella giggled, nipping at my ear and wrapping her long legs around my waist.

“You two,” Alice laughed, heading downstairs. We made out for a few moments before deciding to help Alice as she set up a full wardrobe in our family room.

Alice had us all try on the costumes, making final notes about what worked and what didn’t. For Jasper, Emmett and me, we would be wearing jeans and various shirts that coordinated with Bella’s dresses, skirts and outfits. However, the clothes were cutting edge and very form-fitting for all of us. Bella, despite being comfortable in her own skin, hated a few of the dresses since they were so short or too low cut. She demanded that Alice either make them longer or put in a modesty panel. I was with my wife because my wife’s body was _mine._ Yes, she was sexy and men fawned over her, but all of her goodies were for the two of us, not anyone else.

“Okay, so tomorrow, Edward and Bella, you have an appointment to get some publicity shots,” Kellan said, looking at his calendar on his phone. “We will get the ones for the band in a couple of weeks when Emmett is discharged from the rehab facility. I’ve also finalized the first leg of our tour, through Edward’s birthday. I’ll send the itinerary over to all of you once my assistant finishes typing it up. How is the set list?”

“We’re about two-thirds of the way there,” I answered, holding Bella on my lap. “We’re working on last half hour and the encore. We should be finished by the time we start rehearsals on the stage in two weeks.”

“Awesome,” Kellan smiled. “We’ll have two weeks to work with the stage in Los Angeles before it’s shipped to New York and another week before you open Memorial Day weekend.” He put his phone into his pocket and stood up. “I’m off. I’ll see you two tomorrow for the photo shoot.”

“Help me, Kellan,” Alice said, thrusting an armload of clothes into his hands. “You’re a big tall guy. Use your muscles for good and not evil.”

“Bossy little sprite,” Kellan grumbled good-naturedly, following Alice out of the house.

“We’re going to go, too,” Nia said. “We have a date.”

“Where are you going?” Bella asked.

“A tiny place called Chez Whitlock,” Jasper smirked, wrapping his arms around Nia’s waist. “You’re on the dessert menu, my love.”

Nia giggled, kissing him tenderly before dragging him out of the house, leaving Bella and me all alone.

And you can guess what happened once we were by ourselves. Bella lost herself in my body, enjoying the cure that only my cock could provide and I was more than happy to oblige.

xx LMDC xx

The next day, Bella and I went for our photo shoot and had an interview with a journalist from _Rolling Stone_ about our upcoming tour and plans for after the tour was over. After the photo shoot, I took my wife out on our own date. We had to evade paparazzi, but we still managed to have a quiet dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Toscanova and go for a stroll in a nearby park without too much interference. We had a few fans ask for photos and autographs, but we were left to our own devices.

A week after the photo shoot, we were driving to Palm Springs to pick up Emmett. Kellan was originally supposed to, but he had a meeting with one of our tour promoters that he couldn’t get out of. So, Bella and I drove the two and a half hours to pick him up. Bella had calmed down some, but she was still disappointed in her brother bear. I think she was more upset at the implications of Emmett’s behavior. She was losing her sister-in-law and best friend. In her mind, our integrity had been shot to hell and we didn’t _trust_ Emmett. Not anymore.

Could it be rebuilt? We needed proof of his ability to stay sober, not partying constantly.

“Do you think that this stint in the rehab clinic made a difference?” Bella asked as we got closer to Palm Springs.

“I don’t think so. I know it, beautiful,” I replied, reaching over and threading our fingers together. “You’ve seen the changes in Emmett when we’ve visited.”

“We have, but what if …?” she trailed off.

“We have to show some faith, Bella. Emmett knows his mistakes and hopefully, he’ll continue along the same path,” I said, turning into the rehab clinic. “We’ll have to support him.”

“And we will,” Bella said, leaning over and kissing my jaw. I turned off the car and we went inside into the lavish clubhouse. The rehab clinic had several smaller buildings where the patients stayed. Each building served for each different addiction. Emmett was in the building for drug and alcohol addiction with several other clients. He had his own room and completed daily therapy, group sessions, classes to prevent him falling off the wagon and classes for friends and family. Bella and I attended those meetings, along with Charlie.

Walking up to receptionist, we asked for Emmett. She smiled and said that he was waiting for us in the Zen Garden. We went out to the tiny Zen Garden off the rear of the clubhouse. Emmett was sitting underneath a large tree, looking at a quiet waterfall. He looked better, his eyes clear and his face clean shaven. He had been wearing a full beard while he was in the clinic. “Emmett?” Bella called. He turned, smiling brightly at his sister. “You ready to leave?”

“I’m ready to sleep in my own bed,” he said, getting up from his seat and hugging both of us tightly. “This place is nice, but the beds are as hard as rocks. Plus, my roommate snored.” We looked at him, confused by his statement. “The last three weeks, I had a roommate since they were pressed for space. He was pretty cool, also a musician. He showed me some licks on the guitar. I may put you out of a job, Edward.”

“Show me what you got, Emmett,” I snickered.

“Once we get back home,” Emmett beamed, pounding my fist.

“Will you be okay, staying at the house on your own?” Bella asked, threading her arm through his.

Emmett sighed, squinting his eyes a little bit. “I’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to some time on my own. The past couple of months, I’ve been around _people_ and therapists and other addicts. I just need time to think before we head out on tour in a couple of weeks. I do need to empty out the liquor cabinet and get rid of my stash once I get home. I need you both to be there.”

“Of course, Em,” I said, clapping his shoulder. “Anything you need.”

“Now, let’s blow this pop stand,” he grinned, rubbing his hands together. “I have a date with my bed and my flat screen!”

“Do you have any bags?” Bella asked.

“Yeah. They’re in the office, along with my cell phone and tablet,” Emmett explained. We went inside, gathering his belongings and loading them into Bella’s SUV. Emmett met with his therapist once more, briefly, before we left the rehab clinic. Two and half hours later, we arrived back in our neighborhood. Emmett wrinkled his nose and blew out a harsh breath.

“Are you okay, Em?” I questioned, looking at him in the rear view mirror.

“I don’t know. I’m eager to be home, but then I realized that Rosie’s not there,” he said quietly. He pinched his nose and let out a shaky breath. “I prepared for this when I was in the rehab clinic, but now that it’s here? I don’t know what to do. The reality of what I’ve done is smacking me in the face. Karma’s a bitch and she’s kicking my ass right now.”

“Emmett, you can stay with us if it’s too much,” Bella whispered, looking back at her brother.

“No, I have to come to grips that Rosie might not be coming back. I can’t stay and invade your home, Isabelly. It’s not feasible or fair to you. Can you guys just walk in with me? Please?” Emmett asked, his voice tiny and unsure. Bella gripped his hand, nodding fervently. I pulled into the driveway and we all got out of the car. Emmett took a few deep breaths before walking to the garage and punching in the code. The door opened, revealing his three cars: a tricked out red Jeep, a sleek Mercedes roadster and the old truck from when we were at Emerson University. Emmett refused to part with it, even though it had died a month after we drove it across country. He said it reminded him of where we came from and where we were going.

“Em?” Bella asked, her hand reaching for his.

He gulped, pulling my wife close to his side as we walked to the door. Using his key, Emmett tried to open the door, but his hands were shaking and his body was wracked with tension. The keys fell onto the floor with a loud rattle. Bella picked them up, opening the door and guiding him inside.

My beautiful wife was being strong for her shattered older brother.

It made me love her even more, if that were even possible.

The house smelled a little musty, but we had used a cleaning service to maintain it while he was in the clinic. He looked around, his eyes brimming with tears. The house, itself, hadn’t changed, but there was an emptiness, a coldness inside. Emmett moved around, running his hands along the quartz countertops and walking to the family room. The wedding photo from their Las Vegas nuptials was hanging on the wall crookedly and the glass was broken. Rosalie obviously had thrown something at it when she left, causing the damage to the photo. Emmett took it off the wall, grimacing in anguish. He chucked the photo across the room and fell to his knees, sobbing brokenly. Bella ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as best as she could. I picked up the photo that had skittered along the ground, ending at my feet. I shook out the broken glass into the garbage can and placing it on the counter.

Bella and Emmett sat on the floor for over an hour until he just collapsed in exhaustion, his head in Bella’s lap. We eventually helped him upstairs to the guest bedroom, settling him into bed. He crashed almost immediately. Bella and I moved into the loft, snuggling up on the couch. “As much as he says he doesn’t want to, I think he needs to stay with us,” Bella said, her eyes fierce. “Having him stay in this house by himself is setting him up for failure.”

“I agree, beautiful,” I murmured, brushing her hair away from her face. “Let him sleep for now and we’ll set up the guest bedroom.”

“I’m going to pack his bags. I don’t think he’ll be ready to go into the bedroom,” Bella said. “Rose moved out and all of her stuff is gone. He may have another moment.”

“I’ll go make sure we’ve got clean sheets and I’ll be back in about ten minutes,” I nodded. “I love you, Bella. More than words can say, beautiful.”

“I love you, too,” she replied, hugging me tightly and crying quietly. “I pray that we don’t ever have to deal with this.”

“That’ll be simple. I don’t plan on ever letting you go, _cantante_ ,” I smiled, holding her close to my body.

“Good. Me neither,” she sniffled, wiping her cheeks. “And, I think we need to try to maintain some sense of normalcy. A rehearsal tomorrow? Emmett is probably going to be rusty …”

“Let’s get through tonight, Bella and then we’ll plan for tomorrow,” I said, kissing her nose. “Go pack his shit.”

Bella kissed me before sliding off my lap, walking to Emmett’s master bedroom. I got up, checking on Emmett to make sure he was alright. Even in his slumber, he looked troubled. I patted his shoulder and went across the street to set up the guest bedroom. Twenty minutes later, I was back in Emmett’s house, helping Bella lug Emmett’s bags to our home. We let him sleep for an hour before helping him to our house. He argued about staying with us, but Bella told him that he needed to be with family. We’d give him the necessary space, but he shouldn’t be alone. Emmett hugged her and we settled him into the guest bedroom.

Emmett stayed up there in our guest room for a couple of days, only coming down to get some food. After a week, he finally emerged, a little worn, a lot thinner and sadder, but determined to move on with his healing. We met up with Kellan at the theater where our stage was being built. Working for the better part of a day, we finalized our set list and encores. We also made arrangements for a photo shoot for us as a band and sending it out with a press release, hyping up our tour.

The day of the photo shoot, we arrived at the studio around nine in the morning. Bella was getting her hair curled and makeup applied while Emmett, Jasper and I were relaxing on the set, playing on the prop instruments that were set up. We were jamming, coming up with some fresh material for our new album, which would begin recording after the holidays. Emmett abruptly stopped, putting his drum sticks onto the snare drum, his expression unreadable. “I spoke to Rosie,” he said.

“You did?” Jasper replied, noodling around with a bass riff. “What did she say? Is she still talking about divorce?”

“She was adamant when we first got on the phone, but I told her _everything_ that I’d done. Working my steps, you know?” Emmett chuckled humorlessly. “One thing that I did, no matter how wasted I was, I wrapped it up. I know I fucked up and fucked around, but the only person I’d ever want to have children with was … _is …_ Rosie. I told her that and she reminded me that her body was all sorts of fucked up because of her rape. I don’t care about that. I still want her.”

“Then, why did you sleep around, Em?” I asked. “If you love Rose so much, why did you feel the need to have sex with random women?”

“Because I’m a fuck up. Because I was horny and my wife wasn’t with me,” he shrugged. “There is no real _good_ reason for me to describe why I did it. I hate myself for doing it. I truly do. The only thing that I can do is try to fix the situation. I asked Rose if she still loved me and she said yes, but the trust is gone.”

“And that’s a hard thing to get back,” Jasper said, wrinkling his nose. “You remember what happened with me and Alice? We tried for over a year and that trust that we once had was gone. _Poof!_ I couldn’t … _we_ couldn’t get it back and we ended up breaking up, permanently. Are we better as friends? Definitely. I’m happy with Nia. I just want Alice to find the same happiness that I did. You know?”

“Do you think that you and Rose will survive this?” I pressed.

“Rosie is not going forward with the divorce proceedings. She agreed for us to try a trial separation and go to couple’s therapy,” Emmett explained. “However, that will have to start after our tour and she wants to use that as a test for me. Can I stay on the straight and narrow or will I fall back into my man-whorish ways?”

“If we have to sit on you, we’ll keep you in line,” I snickered.

“I’m Emmett sitting,” Kellan deadpanned, walking into the studio. “Rose called me and said that I was to be your shadow when you’re not on stage. Rose trusts me.”

“You may need our help, Kellan,” Jasper retorted. “Emmett can squish you like a bug. You’re so scrawny.”

“Hey now,” Kellan laughed. “I may be a pencil-pusher, but I work out. I use the same trainer as Edward, so bite me.”

“Was there something else, Kellan?” I asked.

“Oh, the woman who claimed to be your baby mama got the test and we have the results,” Kellan replied, taking out an envelope from his satchel. “Do you want to read the news or me?”

“I’m shocked she went through with the test,” I said, my eyes wide.

“She almost didn’t until the judge told her that if she didn’t, she’d be held in contempt of court and thrown in a holding cell until she had the test done or until the baby was born, whichever came first,” Kellan snorted. “She didn’t want to forfeit her freedom. She got the test.”

“Let me have that,” Emmett said, taking the envelope. As he was tearing it open, Bella walked out, wearing a sexy black leather dress with knee-high black boots and gorgeous necklaces around her neck. She looked like sex incarnate and I felt my own leather pants get tighter as she sashayed toward us. “Isabelly, the girl got the test.”

“What does it say?” she asked, walking to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, looking at her brother expectantly.

Emmett unfolded the letter, his brows furrowed. Then, after a moment, his face broke into a beautiful smile. “I’m not the father. There is no genetic way that I could be the father!” he crowed, jumping up and holding his arms up in triumph.

“That’s why she didn’t want to get the test done,” Kellan snickered. “She knew she was fucking lying.”

“You should totally sue her for defaming your good name, Em,” Jasper growled.

“Can I do that?” Emmett asked.

“I’ll call Jenks,” Kellan nodded. “She should pay for what she put you through.”

“No, use my dad,” I said. “Senior will completely obliterate her in court. I’ll call him after the photo shoot.”

“Well, I’ll get started on a press release with Nia, putting this story to bed,” Kellan said.

“I want to tell Rosie first before she reads it on TMZ,” Emmett said.

“We’ll wait until after you’ve called her, Em,” Kellan smiled. “Now, act like you like each other or some shit. We’ve got a tour to sell out!”

“Should we be worried?” Bella asked, twisting her wedding set. “About the tour? Did all of the negative press …?”

“Pssh, no. Almost all of the cities are sold out. A couple of venues are asking about adding another date or something,” Kellan said. “I just want you guys to be successful.”

“We are successful,” Jasper scoffed, giving Kellan a sidelong look. “Did you forget the four Grammy’s we won?”

“And let’s not forget all of those Moon Men from the Video Music Awards,” Emmett added.

“Plus, the American Music Awards and the Billboard Awards,” Bella snickered, smiling widely. “And Edward, what was that award you won for composition?”

“The Morton Gould Young Composer Award for ‘La Musica del Cuore,’” I replied.

“Okay, okay, you guys are the fucking shizz,” Kellan deadpanned. “But, we’re getting close to go time. I want you guys on your ‘A-game.’ We have one more week of rehearsals and then we’re off for this North American tour! Let’s put our best foot forward!”

And that was the plan ... one step forward, striving for the best North American tour ever.

**A/N: So, we got some resolution with Emmett’s issues, but will he continue to stay on the same track? I certainly hope so. Pictures of Emmett and Rose’s home are on my blog. The link for that is on my profile or you can access it through my Facebook page: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation or twitter: tufano79. Follow me or join my group. We’re a lot of fun! ;-)**

**Up next will be Bella and a blast from their past … Leave me some loving! Hugs and kisses, kids!**


	4. ... Two Steps Back

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be Bella and a blast from their past … Leave me some loving! Hugs and kisses, kids!**

**Chapter Four: … Two Steps Back**

**BPOV**

“Bella, you have to get this dress. It’s so cute!” sang Nia.

“She’s right, Bells,” Alice smirked as she sorted through the racks at our favorite vintage clothing shop off Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

“I’m going to need a freaking tour bus for just my clothes,” I snorted. “And now with the both of you on my case? I don’t know what’s worse!”

“We’re both clothing fanatics,” Alice said, waggling her brows. “And we love playing Bella Barbie with you. You have the perfect body for all of these sexy clothes.”

“What I wouldn’t give to wear just plain jeans from Target,” I laughed. “And a t-shirt! Oooh, I miss sneakers, too. I want my Chucks!”

“Bella, you are a fashion plate. Girls want to wear what you wear. You have to portray the image,” Nia said, arching a brow over her thick frames. “Wearing jeans and t-shirts, they don’t fit with that image. Well, jeans, paired up with a sexy top, yes. But, a t-shirt? A total travesty!”

“She was the same way in college, too,” Alice quipped, holding up a cute skirt and handing it to me. “She fought, tooth and nail, when we used to take her on shopping sprees.”

“And I haven’t changed one bit,” I sighed, picking up a sexy blue dress that left little to the imagination. “Oooh, Edward love this on me.”

“He’d love to take it off with his teeth,” Alice giggled. “But, you’ve changed, Bells. You now have exquisite taste when you’re buying clothes for my brother. Definitely, very sexy.”

“So?” I argued. “Is it a crime for me to make love to my husband? To buy sexy little outfits to make him drool?”

“Nope, but you two are like fucking rabbits,” Alice said.

“That’s putting it mildly. I never knew that you and Edward were so _loud,_ ” Nia guffawed. “Jasper said that was normal, par for the course.”

“At least my man knows how to satisfy me,” I sang, carrying the dress and the skirt that Alice handed me to the changing room and trying it on. It fit perfectly, hugging my curves and making me look sexy and alluring. I decided on getting it, even though I didn’t need the dress. The skirt, however, was not that sexy on my body. I decided on not getting that. Draping the dress over my arm, I walked out of the changing room. “We need to wrap this up. We have a rehearsal in an hour. I said I’d bring dinner for the guys.”

“I can’t believe that the tour is starting in a couple of days,” Nia said. “I’m excited.”

“This is the first tour that you’re going on with us,” I smiled. “Are you ready for four months of pure craziness?”

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve only traveled to a handful of states and now, with you guys, I’m going to see the continental United States,” she said. “Taking pictures, maintaining your twitter, Instagram, Facebook and publicity for everything. It’s pretty fucking cool. Speaking of publicity, we’ve got a ton of fan mail in the office. We’re in the process of sorting it.”

“Ooh, I love fan mail. I think the best memory I’ve had was for that one little girl from the Make a Wish foundation,” I cooed.

Since our first hit played on the radio, Twilight Records had been inundated with fan mail for Breaking Midnight. Some of the letters were addressed to us as a band and some were individual letters addressed to each member. Edward and I were the most popular members to get letters, fan mail.

Shortly before the release of our sophomore album, we received a letter from a girl in Portland who had a brain tumor. The doctors had not given her a promising prognosis and her last wish was for Breaking Midnight to do an acoustic set in the children’s ward at Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital. My heart broke for her and I wanted to do more. So, working with Kellan, the girl, whose name was Leah, her doctors and her parents, we made arrangements for a performance at a nearby club, complete with swag and freebies for all of the kids and their families that were able to leave the ward, food and specialty beverages.

On top of that, I treated Leah to a day of relaxation and beauty before the performance, saying that my number one fan needed to look her best for her big debut. She even sang with Edward and me, her voice as clear as a bell and her smile as radiant as the spotlight shining on her. What made the day even more miraculous was that shortly after our visit with Leah and her family, the doctors discovered that the treatments, which had not been working previously, had begun to shrink the tumor. With extensive chemo therapy, gamma radiation and brain surgery, Leah was on the road to recovery. She would have a minor developmental delay because of the location of the tumor, but her fighting spirit, her love of music and her memories of our visit were intact. In fact, it made her fight even harder to overcome her challenges. She was talking in a month and was taking her first unassisted steps within three months.

From our last phone call with Leah a couple weeks back, she was getting ready to go back to school and stressing about what to do with her still-growing hair. I told her that she was beautiful and that the pixie cut was in style. I also told her that when we were in Portland, she’d be coming to our concert, getting the VIP treatment for her and four of her friends.

“We should have the mail sorted by the end of the day,” Nia said. “As per usual, you and Edward have the biggest stacks!”

“Awesome,” I smiled. I knew that the sorting of the mail weeded out the weird letters and the few threatening letters. We didn’t get many, but there were some. If they were truly freaky, they were sent to the cops. Only one or two had been delivered that were deemed dangerous, but they were never traced.

I checked my phone, my eyes widening. “Shit, we’ve got to go. I want to stop at In-And-Out Burger for dinner.”

We paid for our clothes and scrambled into my SUV. I picked up the meals for the guys and salads for Nia, Alice and me. Arriving at the rehearsal space, the guys broke for dinner and we planned the final rehearsal before the stage was going to be dismantled and shipped to New York, Madison Square Gardens specifically. I sat down next to Edward, picking at my salad.

“Did you and the girls have fun?” he asked.

“Yeah. It was nice to have the afternoon off,” I said, swiping a fry. “What time did you guys get here?”

“About two-ish. I spent a few hours at the gym with Emmett before Jasper picked us up from the house. We worked with the lighting techs for an hour before blocking out the first hour of the show,” Edward explained. “You’ve got this changing area on stage right.”

“I still don’t understand why I have to have ‘costume’ changes,” I grumbled, wrinkling my nose. “I didn’t have to change my clothes on our first tour.”

“Bella, it’s because you’re a fashion plate. We just went over this,” Alice chirped as tucked into her salad.

“I know, I know,” I sighed, waving my hand dismissively.

“You’re more than just a fashion plate, Bella,” Edward purred, pressing a kiss behind my ear. “You’re absolutely gorgeous and I’m proud to show you off.”

“Stop seducing your wife, Cullen,” Jasper barked as he held Nia on his lap. “We have a three-hour rehearsal ahead of us, you punk! We don’t have time for you two to sneak away for a little nookie.”

“Fuck you, Hick!” Edward laughed, throwing his bag toward him. “I’ll seduce my wife any time I want, thank you very much.”

“It’s part of the reason why you’re so popular, Jasper,” Nia argued. “Everyone wants the love that Edward and Bella have. ‘La Musica del Cuore’ has been number one the Billboard Charts since the Grammys. That’s almost two full months. A record for an alternative single.”

“And _Midnight Sun_ just went quintuple platinum,” Kellan said as he strolled into the theater, slipping his cell phone into his pockeet. “I just got off the phone with Jared. Anyway, you’ve got to get started since this stage needs to be dismantled by morning to be delivered in time for your first tour stop. Plus, you have time in the studio for that movie for Rob tomorrow. They want to go ahead with the song and the producers want more.”

“Okay, let’s get started,” Edward said, gathering his garbage and tossing it into the nearby garbage bag. We set up for the first set. Giving a nod to the stage manager, the lights went down and our final dress rehearsal began in earnest. We didn’t sing full out, just marking our songs since we had to record tomorrow. The lights were amazing and I could feel the energy for our upcoming tour. I was getting excited, despite the numerous costume changes, to perform for our fans.

After the rehearsal, we went over a few things with the stage manager and crew. Kellan had a few notes, but overall, the rehearsal went smoothly. Nia and Jasper left shortly after the rehearsal concluded. Emmett was riding back to our house. He was still staying in our guest room and probably would be a permanent guest until he got some news from Rose, either good or bad. Kellan gave us the information about our studio time and we left.

Emmett was quiet in the backseat, staring off into space as we drove back to the house. “You okay, brother bear?” I asked.

“Just missing Rosie and I really, _really_ want a drink,” he sighed. “Or something stronger …”

“Do you want to call your therapist?” Edward asked.

“I have text into him. He responded that he was on the phone with another client and that he’d call in a few,” Emmett said. “When I’m on stage or with you guys, I’m fine. It’s at night when I don’t have Rose next to me, that’s when it’s hard. I miss her curled up next to me, drooling on my chest.”

“And that’s when you wandered, finding random women?” I sneered, trying to keep my anger at bay.

“Bella,” Edward admonished, taking my hand.

“Sorry,” I spat. “I’m still a little peeved at what you did to Rose, Emmett. I can’t help my feelings, really.”

“You have every right to be pissed, Isabelly. I know I fucked up,” Emmett muttered. “I just hope that she won’t give up on me. We’ve texted and chatted online, but she still hasn’t called me.”

“Give her time, Em,” Edward said. “I mean, she’s hurting as much as you, if not more. It was her trust that was shattered by your infidelity.”

“I know, I know,” Emmett huffed. “I just … I’m really feeling it today. I think I’m just going to shower and crash once we get home, after I talk to my therapist. I know we have an early start to the day at the recording studio. Are we just recording the one song for the movie?”

“Breaking Midnight, yes, is recording the song, ‘High Life.’ I was also asked by the producers to help write the score. Apparently the music director knows of me or knows someone who shared with them about my talent for composing. We’re meeting them tomorrow after recording the song,” Edward said, pulling into our subdivision, waving at the guard.

“Edward, almost all of our songs are composed by you,” Emmett snickered.

“But this is an orchestral score,” Edward argued. “The only time I dabbled in scoring for instruments was when I was in college, writing that rendition of Bella’s Lullaby for Music Theory. Larry, our professor, was extremely impressed. He even mentioned getting it published, but nothing ever came of that. Breaking Midnight took off before we could cross that bridge.”

“Could Larry be the one who is working with the movie producers?” I asked, almost giddy at the prospect.

“That would be fucking awesome,” Edward beamed, turning onto our street and easily sliding my SUV into the garage. “I wonder how Larry got involved with a movie studio?”

“If it’s really him,” I countered. Edward pursed his lips and nodded. Getting out of the car, I gave my brother a hug, apologizing for snapping at him. He kissed my head before disappearing upstairs to shower and go to bed. Edward and I had a snack before doing the same, after making love until we were both exhausted. My husband needed his daily hit of my body and who was I to deny him?

I was just as addicted to him as he was to me.

Far better than drugs and alcohol.

Edward Cullen … does a body good. Hmmm, yes he does.

xx LMDC xx

The next day, we spent the morning in the studio, recording “High Life.” It was an ethereal, hard-hitting amazing piece of music. I sung lead with Edward harmonizing. Jasper helped out, too, rounding out the chords of this gorgeous song that Edward had written for the movie with the same name. After we recorded the song, we broke for lunch and then met up with the music director and conductor of the orchestra for the movie. Imagine our glee when we did see that it was Larry from Emerson University.

He was dressed casually, wearing a pair of jeans and a button-down. His brown hair had thinned out and had gray mixed in. However, his smile was still sweet and it brought back memories of Music Theory at 7:30 in the morning, taking notes and building an amazing relationship with my sexy, sweet husband. Larry walked over to us. He had a substantial limp and upon a closer look, scars on his face and hands. He wrapped his arms around me, kissing my cheek. “My two favorite students,” he chuckled, rubbing my back. Turning to Edward, he gave him a half hug. “I knew you’d do great things, but never _this!_ ”

“Larry, it’s such a surprise to see you,” Edward said. “But, what happened? You’re limping!”

“Oh, that,” Larry said, guiding us to a large conference table. “Before I tell that story, I want to introduce you to my brother-in-law, Jerome. He’s the music director for the movie and he about fell out of his chair when I told him about both of your talents.”

“My kids are huge fans of Breaking Midnight,” Jerome gushed. “And when Larry told me that he had had both of you in class, sharing your recording of that lullaby? I knew I wanted to work with you. You have that sound we want for the movie. Alternative, eerie and ethereal.”

“It’s an honor to even be considered,” I said, smiling at both men. “But, what happened Larry? You seem like you’re in tremendous amounts of pain. Are you okay?”

“Okay is a relative term,” Larry said, shifting uncomfortably on the chair. “About a year after you left Emerson, I took my Wind Symphony on a tour to Washington D.C. On the drive there, it was snowing something awful and the bus hit a patch of black ice, spinning uncontrollably on the highway. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in an ICU with my leg pinned together and my wife sobbing next to me. Long story short, out of the forty students on the trip, ten were killed when the bus exploded. I had tried to drag as many as I could out and I was thrown across the highway when the bus was engulfed in flames, my leg shattering on impact. On top of that, I had internal injuries and burns covering thirty percent of my body, including my face and hands.”

“Larry,” I frowned. “I’m so sorry. You’re lucky to be alive.”

“I don’t consider myself lucky,” he snapped bitterly. “I felt so guilty for surviving while my students had died. I couldn’t stand to look at myself. I couldn’t … being in front of a class was too much. I couldn’t effectively do my job. So, I took a sabbatical from teaching, but I couldn’t go back. Being on campus was a reminder of what I’d lost: my passion, my happiness, my wife, my students … It was too much. So, my sister, Leanne, told me to come out to California. Jerome works in the movie industry and he had used a few of my compositions in several movies he had worked on.”

“When one of my conductors quit unexpectedly on a circus film, I asked Larry to step in,” Jerome added, rubbing Larry’s arm. “He was nervous, but the sound he got out of the orchestra was beautiful. I hired him and now, we’re a team.”

“Nervous is putting it mildly. I thought I was going to pass out or throw up all over the podium. I hadn’t picked up a baton or conducted since the accident. I just saw the ghosts of my students,” Larry whispered, his face pale. “After that day, I slept for almost a week, but I felt like I could finally move on. With the help of Jerome, Leanne and my psychiatrist, I was able to become a functioning member of society. Well, sort of functioning. I still have my bad days.”

“I couldn’t even imagine,” Edward said, his brows furrowed. “I’m so sorry, but you have to know that it wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. My guilt is normal, though. At least, that’s what my shrink says,” Larry shrugged. “Survivor’s guilt. Every day, I get better, but I’ll always feel responsible for what happened, even if it wasn’t, _technically_ , my fault.” He wiped his cheek and looked up at us. “Now, I know you guys are going on tour in a week. Right?”

“We fly out on Tuesday and have our first concert on Friday, May 27th, at Madison Square Gardens,” Edward said. “However, when we’re driving to the next city, we have a lot of down time on the tour bus and we have periodic breaks every four weeks, just so we don’t get sick or too tired.”

“Well, talking with the director and the star, Rob, they want you to do score for the whole thing, Edward,” Larry said. “They want you to use elements from the song you recorded, making it cohesive. Bella, I also know that you’re a talented composer in your own right. You wrote ‘Shattered’?”

“The melody, yes. Edward added the harmonic background, making it sound amazing,” I said, squeezing Edward’ hand. “But, most of the songs we’ve written on the latest album were a collaborative effort, including ‘High Life.’”

“Well, we’re going to give you the script and we would like you to write the score. Both of you,” Jerome said, handing us a thick envelope. “The only people who have the script are the director, the actors and now, you. Do not divulge _anything_ about the movie. Do you understand?”

“We understand,” Edward said, taking the envelope. “How many pieces do you want?”

“Write you want and we’ll go from there. If you want to include a vocal line, we can hire someone or use one of you,” Jerome said. “Filming is starting about the same time you are doing your tour. We won’t need the music until once principal filming is complete. You have until the middle of August to send us what you have.”

“With all of the time on the bus, it’ll be the perfect time to work on this,” I said. Edward nodded eagerly, flipping through the script. “Larry, if there’s anything more that we can do for you.”

“I’m fine,” Larry said. “Well, as fine as a guy with one leg can be.”

“Wait! One leg?” Edward barked.

Larry grimaced. “They tried to save my leg, but it was too damaged. They amputated it from the knee down. I have a titanium leg. The same stuff they use in NASA,” Larry chuckled. “Every day I get stronger, but it’s a daily struggle. I miss Emerson. I miss my wife and I miss my old life, but I can’t go back. It’s too painful.”

“Did your wife divorce you?” I whispered, almost afraid to ask.

“I divorced her. I didn’t want her to have to take care of me. I felt like I didn’t deserve it,” Larry shrugged. “Again, it was all a part of the survivor’s guilt.” He stood up and making a face. “You are probably very busy with the tour. We’re grateful that you had the time to record ‘High Life’ and agree to write the score.”

“We’ll send your manager the contract. Have your attorney look it over,” Jerome said, shaking our hands. “It’s a standard agreement, but I’d still recommend you have your lawyer check it out.”

“We will,” I said. “Thank you for the opportunity.” Jerome left. Larry hugged us again, congratulating us on our success. Despite his sincere words, I could still see the pain in his eyes and lingering sadness in his demeanor. The lively, happy man who had been there at the beginning of my relationship with Edward had died in that bus crash. We exchanged phone numbers and I told Larry to call us anytime. He seemed to really like that, hugging us both again before sending us off to go pack for our first leg of our tour.

xx LMDC xx

The rest of the week was spent packing, organizing and making final preparations for our _Midnight Sun_ tour. The tour buses had arrived, parked in Emmett’s driveway since they were so big and his driveway was the only one big enough. Emmett, Jasper and Nia would be riding in one bus while Edward, Alice and I would be in the other. Kellan usually hitched a ride with the truck with the stage and instruments. If he didn’t, he usually was on Emmett and Jasper’s bus. There was a third bus for our crew, but it wasn’t nearly as luxurious, filled with bunks and a simple kitchenette.

We loaded up our clothes and stocked the kitchen with treats, drinks and other necessities. When the buses were deemed ready to go, they took off to New York. We would fly into New York City, taking the buses once we began the tour. We were preparing to head to the airport. I was trying to close my suitcase while Edward was fighting with the limo company, which was running late to pick us up.

“God damn it!” Edward growled.

“What, baby?” I called down, sitting on my suitcase to attempt to zip it.

“The limo is stuck on the freeway. There’s a huge accident,” Edward said, stomping up to the bedroom. “We’re going to miss our flight. I want to get to New York so we can have a rehearsal in Madison Square Gardens.”

“Edward, you are such a perfectionist,” I said, getting off the suitcase, running my fingers through his messy hair.

“This tour is a big deal, Bella,” Edward murmured, his hands wrapping around my waist and pulling me closer. “I know that we’re in a good place, but … I just want to make sure that we’re comfortable on the stage.” He looked at me, his eyes slightly panicked and filled with fear.

“Baby, breathe,” I said, massaging his neck. “I love you and we’re going to do awesome. If we miss our flight, we can get another one. We have more than enough time, handsome.” He pressed his forehead to mine, holding me close to his rock hard body. “Why are you panicking?”

“I don’t know. I love performing. I love going on tour, but I’m just … this is _huge_!” he hissed, his lips traveling down my jaw. He took my face and pressed his lips to mine, moving tenderly with me. “Bella, I need you …”

“Edward,” I moaned, my fingers tangling into his soft hair. He bent down, picking me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He pushed the suitcase off the bed and reached up underneath my skirt, tearing my panties from my body. “I liked those.”

“I’ll buy you more, beautiful,” he snarled, unbuckling his jeans and shoving them down. His cock was hard and pressed to my thigh. “Baby, please? Let me make love to you.”

“Oh, God. Yes,” I whimpered, kissing his lips. With a low moan, he pushed inside of me, filling to the brink with his cock. He cupped my breast through my t-shirt as he rolled his hips, making his cock slide easily within me. Edward evergreen eyes gazed into mine as we shared one body. “I love you, Edward.”

“I adore you,” he whispered, his arm scooping my left leg up onto his shoulder. He leaned back, pounding into me. With my leg over his shoulder, it changed the angle and made me moan with need. “Fuck, Bella. You are so sexy. Play with your pretty little clit.”

I smirked, reaching between my legs. Rubbing my clit, I brushed my fingers along his length as he moved in and out of my body. Our coupling was fast and a touch desperate. Edward gripped my leg as his strokes grew erratic. “Let go, baby,” I encouraged him. “Come inside me.”

“Only with you,” he grunted. “Please, love.”

His thrusts slammed into me, making my body quiver with anticipation. I was very close and my husband knew exactly what to do to make me lose all control with his body. Edward looked at me, his eyes swirling with devotion, love and desire. He bent down, kissing me deeply. He shuddered with his own release and I let the ecstasy wash over me. Edward brushed my hair back and his kisses softened as he slowed his thrusts. “Hmmmm,” he moaned, dropping my leg and enfolding me in his arms. “Sorry about turning into a needy son-of-a-bitch.”

“You’re not needy. I needed it just as much as you,” I giggled, nibbling at his jaw.

Emmett banged on our bedroom door. “Guys, Jasper, Nia and Alice are here,” he called. “Where’s the limo?”

Edward rolled his eyes, sliding out of me. “We’ll be right down,” he said. He kissed me tenderly, jogging into our ensuite bathroom. He gently washed between my legs and tossed me a pair of new panties. “I will buy you a new pair of panties, Mrs. Cullen. I just needed to be inside of you in the worst way.”

“Those panties were over a hundred bucks, bub,” I snickered. “You’d figure they’d be a little more durable.”

“Meh,” he shrugged, picking up his cell phone. “Personally, when we’re alone, you should not wear underwear. I want you all of the time. Less layers to contend with.”

“Edward, you are a sex addict,” I laughed, tugging on the new panties.

“I hate to break it to you, beautiful, but so are you,” he said, popping me on the ass. “Now, I’m going to try and call the limo company to see if they are _any_ closer to the house. If not, we may have to use Twilight’s private jet.” He held up his cell phone as I went back to packing. Though, my suitcase was now strewn on the floor thanks to our lovemaking. Twenty minutes later, my bag was packed and zipped up. Emmett lugged it downstairs, his face pulled into a grimace, grumbling that our bedroom smelled like sex.

_So?_

We’re a married couple. We’re going to have sex. It’s a given fact. _Just saying._

“Bells, I picked up the mail,” Jasper said, handing me a huge stack. “Did you guys stop delivery?”

“Yep. All of our mail is going to be delivered to Twilight and the important stuff, like bills, will be forwarded to our hotels,” I explained, shuffling through the mail. I picked up a nondescript envelope. It looked like a piece of fan mail. However, all fan mail was sent to Twilight or to our fan club, ‘Up ‘til Midnight.’ We’ve never had fan mail delivered to our house. I plucked the piece of mail and tossed the rest of the junk onto the front table. I tore into the envelope, hoping to read some uplifting story from a fan.

That simply was _not_ the case.

_To the whore who ruined my life,_

_Five years ago, I was on a path. A path that I enjoyed. I was smart, successful, happy and_ gainfully _employed. Then, a gorgeous brunette breezed into my life and my world stopped._

_Yes, you were the forbidden fruit._

_You were sexy, coy, talented and taken._

_By that asshole. The asshole who is now your fucking husband …_

_I could have let everything go. I wanted to, but seeing you and your tool of a husband gain the fame of being_ stars _really pissed me off. What was so fucking special about you? About your band?_

_Absolutely nothing._

_You are no longer gorgeous. You look like a whore who’s been fucked one too many times. Do you enjoy the drugs you take? It’s not good for your voice._

_And your husband? How many skanks has he been with? I bet he has a different girl in his bed, every fucking night. Probably two at once!_

_To put this bluntly, I’m done watching you get the fame and the glory and the happiness. It’s my turn. And you’re going to pay the ultimate price …_

_Until then, you whore, expect to hear a lot more from me._

_But who am I?_

_Only I know and you’ll have to figure it out._

_Fuck you, bitch_

The letter floated out of my hands and I felt sick, nauseous from what I had read. Memories of Jacob’s stalking and his attack hit me like a ton of bricks. I started hyperventilating.

“Bella?” Emmett said, sitting in front of me. “Shit, Isabelly. Look at me. Breathe with me, little sis.”

“S-s-s-s-s,” I stammered, pointing to the floor with the letter.

“What’s wrong?” Nia asked.

“Get Edward,” Emmett said sternly. Nia ran upstairs to Edward’s office while I struggled in keeping awake and breathing normally. I was failing. Miserably. “Bella. Take a deep breath. Please, sweetheart.”

Jasper bent down, picking up the letter. “Fuck me,” he whispered, pulling out his cell phone.

Edward ran downstairs, pulling me into his arms. Feeling the strength of his embrace and the comfort of his body made me sob openly. “I’m here, beautiful,” he said, his hands traveling up and down my back. “I’m here.”

“Letter,” I cried, gripping his t-shirt. “There was a letter.”

“Let me see,” Edward barked.

“Don’t, Ed. Less fingerprints,” Jasper said, holding it gingerly. “I’m on hold with the police. This is some serious shit. Hold your girl.”

Edward guided me to the couch and held me as I slowly calmed down. By the time the police arrived with Kellan and Jared, our representative from Twilight, I was almost pulled together, but my heart was still stammering. I was trying to not take my anti-anxiety pills. I had gone almost two years without taking one. This whole situation was eerily similar to what I’d endured with Jacob and now, it was including my husband. I didn’t know who it was, but they were pissed off, calling me horrific names and eluding that my husband was cheating on me.

On top of that, I was threatened. I was going to “pay the ultimate price,” whatever that meant.

I was sick at the prospect. I felt violated. I was terrified.

Jared looked at the letter, which had been placed into an evidence bag. “We’ve gotten several letters like these at Twilight; same writing and same forceful tone. We passed them along to the police but nothing has been done about them,” he said. He shot a snide look at the detectives in our foyer.

“There was never an outward threat,” said the male detective. “This one has a clear threat, stating that Mrs. Cullen will …”

“I know that it says,” I snapped. “But it was sent to my _home!_ This sicko knows where we fucking live!”

“Detective Tatum, there is obviously a lot more to this letter than just a veiled threat,” Jared sneered at the male cop. “This letter is the tenth one from this same person. He’s escalating.”

“I agree,” said the female detective. “I think we need to send this off to the FBI for further analysis. Detective Tatum is just concerned about the amount of work he’ll need to do. He’s a bit of a slacker.” She gave him a snide look, turning to me and Edward. “I’m Detective Amanda Coleman and the lead detective on this case, now. Is this the first letter you’ve received at this address?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “I thought it was another fan letter, but when I opened it …”

“You handled it?” Detective Tatum asked. I nodded. “We’ll need your fingerprints.”

“They’re on file,” I said. “We’re all on file.”

“Go outside before you hurt yourself,” Detective Coleman snickered. Detective Tatum gave her a parting growl, stomping out of the house. “Excuse my partner. He’s a douchebag.”

“We can see that,” Edward deadpanned. “Will he be a problem?”

“Pssh, no. He’s a new detective and once I bitch to my captain, he’ll fall in line,” Detective Coleman laughed. “Look, I know that you guys are getting ready to go on tour. We’ll do all we can with the letter and try to figure out who the mystery psycho is. We’ll collaborate with the Calabasas police department, checking in on your home while you’re gone. However, I think that this perp may be one to follow you on tour.”

“Should we step up our security?” Kellan asked. “We have security through the various venues, but nothing private.”

“We’ll cover the cost for a private security firm to protect the band, especially Bella,” Jared piped up. “Let me make some calls. We’ll have them meet up with you in New York City.” He pulled out his cell phone, slipping into our kitchen.

“That settles that,” Detective Coleman smirked. “We can’t really do much with this until we have it analyzed, scanned for prints. Hopefully, the psycho left us some physical evidence to trace him or her. Do you guys have any enemies? Someone from your past?”

“I can’t think of anyone,” Edward answered. “Maybe Victoria, that teacher’s assistant from Emerson. You remember her, right?”

“Ugh, the redhead who tried to shove her tongue down your throat?” I grumbled. “Yes, I remember her. But why would she bitch me out and call me gorgeous? She would be more infatuated with you. What about the other TA?”

“James,” Edward snarled. “I don’t remember his last name, but he worked at Emerson University, too. He was a creeper that stared at Bella a little too closely.”

“We’ll look into both of those. We’ll have to contact the university for their employment records, but it at least gives us a place to start. If you think of anyone else, here’s my card. Contact me with any further information or if you receive any more threatening letters or packages,” Detective Coleman said. She stood up, shaking our hands and leaving the house with her asshole partner.

After the cops left, Kellan walked into our living room. “Okay, so, Jared has made arrangements for us to leave on the private jet tomorrow morning. We’re also going to stay in a hotel near the airport since the flight is at o’dark thirty,” he quipped. “The limos have arrived and we’re going to head out in a little bit.”

“Limos?” I asked.

“We got you a separate limo for you and Edward, in case you wanted to talk,” Kellan said, giving me a warm smile. He was concerned for us.

“Thank you, Kellan. We appreciate it,” Edward said, tightening his hold on me.

“We’ll see you at the hotel,” Kellan murmured. “Take your time.” The band, Kellan and Jared left our home, clambering into the waiting Hummer limo. A smaller limo was idling on our driveway.

“Beautiful,” Edward whispered, taking my face into his hands. “I know that you’re scared. So am I. But, we will be away from the house and this stalker won’t be able to find us.”

“Our tour dates are published on our website, Edward. They will be able to find us,” I hissed back.

“Jared is getting a private security firm for our safety,” Edward cooed, his fingers grazing down my cheek. “We’ll be okay.”

“I don’t know, baby,” I sniffled. “What if it’s not okay? What if this monster finds us? What if he or she makes me pay that ‘ultimate price’?”

“They won’t. I promise you,” Edward growled, crushing his lips to mine. I let myself get lost in his embrace, but his strength and control did little to assuage my fear. Pulling back, he stared into my eyes. “Nothing will get to us. We will get our happily ever after. I love you. Only you.”

“I love you, too,” I said, tracing my fingers along his jaw.

“Together, beautiful. You’re my _cantante_ and nothing will stop our love,” he said, holding me close to his body.

If only I believed him …

**A/N: So, there’s some pissed off stalker on the loose, wanting to make Bella and Edward (mainly Bella) pay for their bad luck. Who do you think it is?**

**Now, we’re going to start the tour. I’ve got the first leg of it planned. The stalker will not stop them from reaching out and performing for their fans. They will have some extra security. Up next will be Edward and his take on the letter. Plus, we’re traveling to New York, by way of Los Angeles and a private plane. The band will perform on _Late Night with Seth Meyers_ , submit some of the soundtrack for _High Life_ and perform at Madison Square Gardens. Pictures of the band’s logo for the upcoming tour and a few ideas for their stage are on my blog and Facebook page: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. You can also find me on twitter, too: tufano79. **

**Leave me some!**

**Thank you for your patience ... my schedule was crazy hectic this week. I hope this makes up for it.**

 

 

 


	5. On the Road

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Now, we’re going to start the tour. I’ve got the first leg of it planned. The stalker will not stop them from reaching out and performing for their fans. They will have some extra security. Up next will be Edward and his take on the letter. Plus, we’re traveling to New York, by way of Los Angeles and a private plane. The band will perform on _Late Night with Seth Meyers_ , submit some of the soundtrack for _High Life_ and perform at Madison Square Gardens.**

**Chapter Five: On The Road**

**EPOV**

The ride to Los Angeles was tense. Bella was trembling, practically vibrating with terror. I tried to get her to take her medication to calm down, but she said she wanted to wait until closer to bed. Her meds made her exhausted and gave her a slight hangover the next day. Thankfully, we didn’t have anything planned for the first day or two in New York, even leaving a day later than we anticipated thanks to the traffic and now, the letter that had been delivered to our home.

We just _wanted_ to have an extra rehearsal.

We _would have liked_ to perform on the stage and have a final dress in Madison Square Gardens.

However, we _needed_ to make sure my wife was safe and secure. That was paramount. We had our final dress rehearsal in Los Angeles and we now we had to interview security firms for our protection.

Though, I didn’t want to say anything, but I had received my own letter. It was delivered the stage where we were rehearsing in Los Angeles. The stage manager delivered it the same day that Bella, Alice and Nia had gone shopping, thinking it was fan mail. However, it was a creepy, sadistic letter, just like the one delivered to our house. I had already spoken with Detective Coleman, giving her the letter prior to Bella, Alice and Nia arriving at the rehearsal. I just kept mum about it because I prayed that they would have caught the bastard sending us these creepy, stalker-ish letters. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

I knew I had to come clean to Bella, but not when she was so fragile.

Later. I’d talk to her later.

I just prayed that I’d get through the conversation with my balls intact.

“Mr. Cullen, we’re almost to the hotel,” said the driver. “Mr. Moore said that there are photographers and paparazzi milling around the entrance.”

“How did they go in when they arrived?” I asked.

“Back entrance, through the delivery bay,” the driver explained.

“We’ll do the same. We’re not in any shape to handle the paparazzi,” I nodded. The driver gave me a curt nod, dialing the hotel and asking for security and a bellhop to meet us at the back entrance. I brushed my wife’s curls from her face and smiled at her crookedly. “We’re here, beautiful.”

She looked up at me. Her espresso-colored eyes were just _shattered_ , empty. Her face was pale and her entire demeanor just cried fear. It reminded me of the time she was taken by Jacob, not once but twice. The first time was in Forks when I had arrived just prior to getting engaged, spending time with Charlie and Emmett just after Christmas. She had been injured, but was okay. The second time was when he stole my Volvo, dying in a car accident because he didn’t know how to drive in the ice and snow. Bella was unconscious for almost two days and she had nightmares for months, healing from both ordeals less than two months apart. Occasionally, she would have one around the anniversary of her abduction.

I was prepared for those nightmares to return tonight, even with her being medicated.

To this day, she still can’t eat strawberries or whipped cream. Those items were what she was going out to the store to buy when she was taken almost six years.

“Bella, we’ll be okay,” I vowed, catching a rogue tear that had slipped from her eyes.

“Will we?” she asked. “I don’t know, Edward. That letter … it scared me. Who would be so cruel? We never did anything to anyone. In fact, we tried our hardest to be one of the few bands with integrity!”

“I don’t think this has anything to do with Breaking Midnight. I think it has to do with you and me,” I shrugged, making a face.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her brows pulled together and her nose wrinkled adorably.

“I’ll tell you in the hotel, beautiful,” I said, kissing her lips tenderly.

With the help of the driver and the waiting hotel employees, we were led up to the penthouse suite. I don’t know how our location was leaked since we usually stayed in hotels under assumed names. My only guess was that Kellan, when booking the hotel, didn’t use them since we were so rattled by the threatening letter. Jasper, Emmett and Kellan were inside of the suite. Nia was on the balcony, talking on her cell phone. Jared was seated at the dining room table, typing on his computer, his brows furrowed.

“New developments?” Bella asked.

“No, sweetie,” Kellan said. “We’re just making arrangements for the security team, adding hotel rooms and getting another tour bus for them. Are you okay?”

“I was getting there, but Edward was being all cryptic,” she snapped, glaring at me.

I huffed out a breath, shooting a look to Kellan. “We have to tell her.”

“I know, I know,” Kellan grumbled, rubbing his face.

“Tell. Me. What,” she demanded, her hands closing into two tight fists.

“That wasn’t the first letter,” Kellan blurted out. He shot me look, admitting defeat. He didn’t want my wife angry at me, so he was taking the fall.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her breathing coming in erratic pants. “Seriously, that wasn’t the first letter? I don’t understand.”

“At the rehearsal space, there was a letter delivered,” I continued. “Lou, the stage manager, handed it to me when I arrived the day we had our final dress rehearsal.”

Bella stumbled, her pale skin turning a ghastly white. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she muttered, taking off in search of a bathroom. I followed her, holding her hair back as she lost her breakfast in the toilet just off the main entrance of the suite. After she finished throwing up, I tried to help her, but she swatted at me. “You lied to me, Edward.”

“I didn’t lie,” I countered. _Yes, you did, asshole._

“You didn’t tell me. You lied by omission,” she sneered. “How could you?”

“We thought it was nothing, Bella,” I said, sitting down on the tile floor. “Yes, Kellan called the cops and I’d already met Detective Coleman. She said she was going to look into it and nothing was ever communicated to us about the letter. We thought it was just another prank letter until we got the one at our house.”

“Was it the same?” she asked, the pain in her eyes still evident and her face hard with anger.

“Almost, but it was addressed to me. Not you,” I muttered. “I don’t think that you’d be classified as a ‘Heartless Asshole.’”

“I’m not, but your classification – that’s debatable,” she deadpanned.

“I know you’re upset, Bella. But, we honestly thought that it was _nothing,_ ” I breathed. “Obviously, receiving that second letter, it’s obviously something, but we will do everything in our power to keep you safe. To keep _us_ safe.”

She scowled at me, getting up in shaky limbs. “I think I need a few moments to myself,” she said coldly. Pushing past me, she walked into one of the bedrooms, closing the door with a lot of force, causing a painting to crash onto the floor.

_Fuck._

I scrubbed my face, dragging my feet out into the living room. Emmett, Jasper and Kellan tried to act like they were being nonchalant and NOT paying attention to my conversation with my wife. They failed miserably. “Are you happy now?” I snapped. “I said that we should have told her.”

“I’m sorry, Edward. I tried to take the fall,” Kellan muttered.

“It’s hard for you to do that when the letter was addressed to me,” I sighed, sitting heavily on one of the ugly chairs in the suite. It smelled like cat piss and cigarettes. “What the hell, Kellan? This place is a dump!”

“I was scrambling,” he shrugged. “There is some huge convention going on and this was the only place available with the security we required and the amount of rooms needed. We’re staying on the same floor, but you and Bella have this room.”

“Oh, Bella has the room. I’m on the couch,” I said, tossing off my hat and tugging at my hair. “She’s really pissed at me and will probably stay that way until the cows come home. My wife is stubborn as hell. It’s one of her more challenging qualities.”

“Swans are stubborn as mules and can hold a fucking grudge,” Emmett snorted. “Dad still hasn’t talked to my mother since she didn’t come to Isabelly’s wedding. He read her the riot act shortly afterward and there has been no communication since.”

“A big part of that has to do with the fact that your mother starts some of these rumors in the tabloids,” Nia argued. “The source saying that Bella was pregnant with your lovechild, Emmett, stemmed from her.”

“My mom is fucked up,” Emmett grumbled. “It’s no wonder Phil divorced her.”

“You didn’t know that?” Jasper asked, his brow arched.

“Honestly, no. I don’t think that Bella knows, either. But, I wouldn’t put it past my incubator,” Emmett shrugged. “I’m going to check on my little sister and hopefully calm her down. She’ll probably need her meds. Do you have them packed?”

“In the front pocket of the purple suitcase,” I said. Emmett nodded, reaching into the pocket and pulling out Bella’s toiletry bag.

“Come on, Edward,” Jasper said. “You need a haircut and some space from all of this.”

“I don’t think a haircut is that high on the priority list,” I responded flatly.

“According your sister and my girlfriend, it is. The hat thing is not working for either one of them. Something about our brand being tainted by that nasty ass hat,” Jasper laughed, tugging me out of the suite. I half expected him to drag me to some high-end salon, but we ended up in a nearby barber shop. We both ended up with some really awesome haircuts and a smooth barber’s shave.

Then, Jasper took me to a local burger joint and we ate dinner until he got a text from Emmett, giving us the go-ahead to go back to the hotel. Jasper met up with Nia at the door of the suite. With a kiss, they went into a room opposite of the doorway. Using my key, I let myself in and was greeted by Emmett. His face was stern, but filled with concern. “She’s sleeping. I gave her the medication, but she bitched about it.”

“Is she still upset with me?” I asked.

“More like she’s upset with the situation,” Emmett offered. “But, there is still some lingering anger toward you for not telling her sooner. I did emphasize that you wanted to tell her and that we convinced you not to.”

“So, she’s pissed at all of you,” I said, shaking my head.

“Essentially, yes, but she’s still slightly pissed at you. Not so much because we took the fall, mainly Kellan,” Emmett smirked. “It’s probably safe to assume that Kellan is going to get his ass chewed out when we get on the plane tomorrow morning.” His cell phone vibrated in his hand. Emmett’s face lit up. “It’s Rosie. I’m going to talk to her. I sent her a text about the letters. Later, Eddie.” He breezed out of the door, leaving me in the large suite that still smelled like cat piss and cigarette smoke.

I walked into the bedroom where Bella was sleeping. From her pained expression on her face, her sleep was not restful. Her face was streaked with tears and she was curled up into a little ball. I stripped off my jeans and t-shirt, climbing into the bed with her. I curled around her body, wanting to give her some support and comfort. “I’m sorry, _cantante_ ,” I whispered into her braided hair. “I love you and I promise you, you’ll be safe.”

She didn’t respond, but I did feel her tense body relax against me. I held her closely until I eventually fell asleep.

xx LMDC xx

The next morning dawned way too early, despite going to sleep before the sun went down. Bella was confused and extra clumsy, thanks to her medication. “Was yesterday a nightmare?” she asked as I guided her to the bathroom.

“I wish, beautiful,” I said.

“Fuck,” she grumbled. She ran her hands over her face. “I need a few human moments, Edward. Do you think you can order some room service? I didn’t eat anything last night and taking my meds on an empty stomach is making it churn something fierce.”

“Sure,” I replied, kissing her temple. She didn’t shy away, but she didn’t reciprocate either. My wife was still pissed at me. I ordered some breakfast and then went into the other bathroom to shower. I dressed comfortably in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Bella walked out of the other bathroom, wearing one of my button-downs and a pair of skinny jeans. Her hair had been re-braided, hanging over her left shoulder. “I’m sorry, but the menu left much to be desired.”

“You’ve turned into such a hotel snob,” she said, arching a brow at me.

“Do you not smell the cat piss and cigarette smoke? It’s disgusting,” I sneered.

“Oh, poor Edward Cullen didn’t stay in a five-star hotel,” she giggled, walking over to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. “And the bed was lumpy.” She pressed her ear to my chest and snuggled close to me. I enfolded her into my arms, leaning my cheek against her mahogany curls. “I’m sorry for being such an epic bitch yesterday.”

“You had every right, baby,” I whispered. “We should have told you about the letter that was delivered to the stage.”

“I had a right to be pissed, but not to treat you the way that I did,” she sighed. “I know you were trying to protect me, handsome. I appreciate that. But, from now on, no more secrets. Okay?”

“I promise,” I said, cupping her chin and staring into her eyes. They were still slightly glazed over and wary. “I love you, Isabella Cullen.”

“I love you, Edward,” she said, ruffling my hair. “Nice haircut.” She smiled shyly. I chuckled, dipping my head and brushing my lips with hers. Our kiss was deepening when there was an obnoxious pounding on the door. I pulled back, glaring at the door and cursing the interruption.

“Did you two kiss and make up?” Emmett boomed from the hallway.

“We were working on it,” Bella retorted snarkily, stomping to the door and opening it. She smacked her brother’s arm. “You oaf! We were just getting to the good stuff.”

“Unfortunately, you don’t have time for the good stuff,” Emmett laughed. “The limos are here. We have to get going in about ten minutes. I was sent up here to make sure that you weren’t lost in each other, fucking like bunny rabbits.”

Bella smacked him again, rolling her eyes as she walked back to me and snuggling in my arms. I eagerly accepted her, missing her affection from the day before. “We’ll be down in the lobby in ten. I promise,” I said.

“Not the lobby. The paparazzi are still there. We leaving the same way we came. Are you guys done with your luggage?” Emmett asked. Bella nodded and he easily picked up her suitcase, rolling mine behind him. “See you in a bit.”

I guided Bella to the tiny dining room table, sitting her on my lap. We ate our meals, which not all that great, but it filled our stomachs. Bella was a little steadier on her feet when she got up, putting the plates on the rolling cart the food had been delivered on. “I’m ready to leave Los Angeles and get away from this creeper, leaving us letters,” she said, picking up her purse. “Let’s try and enjoy ourselves while on this tour. I’m hoping the Detective Coleman and her prick of a partner find out who the person is, leaving us these letters, and apprehends them. Case closed. We move on with our lives.”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” I said, getting up and wrapping her into a passionate embrace. We kissed each other until both of our phones went off, reminding us that we had a plane to catch and a tour to begin. Flying across the country sounded like the best option, far away from the craziness of our lives and these letters.

Let’s get the show on the road …

xx LMDC xx

The flight to New York went by uneventfully. We landed and were ushered into several limos. We stayed at the Peninsula Hotel, once again. The day we arrived, we interviewed several security teams. We decided to go with a group of five men and one woman from a company called Pandora Security. They were easygoing, but ready to take a bullet for all of us. We all felt comfortable with them and hired them on the spot. They had the rest of the week to pack for the tour and make arrangements for their apartments.

The guy in charge, a beefy man named Ryan, stayed with us while we prepared for our performance on _Late Night with Seth Myers._ He didn’t have to make any arrangements since he lived with his long-time girlfriend. She was not happy that her boyfriend was going on the road for almost four months, but was placated when we offered her backstage passes to one of our shows at Madison Square Gardens.

The same day we interviewed the security teams, we had a walk-through of the stage at Madison Square Gardens. It looked enormous and the nerves definitely set in. Each night, we had roughly twenty thousand people coming to see us. I was shaking as Kellan was talking about lights, sound, and ambience with Lou, the stage manager. Our previous tour had been on college campuses and outdoor concerts, like Coachella and Lollapalooza. We’d played on smaller stages. The amount of people that came to those shows were not as apparent as it was in Madison Square Garden.

“Edward?” Bella whispered, her fingers twining with mine. “Are you okay?”

“That’s a lot of people,” I hissed. “What if we suck?”

“We are not going to suck,” Jasper argued. “We played for a lot more at Lollapalooza, Edward.”

“We did?” I asked, not really believing Jasper. He nodded and handed me his phone, showing that there were roughly five thousand more people in that audience.

“Baby, we’re going to do awesome! I have no doubt in our skills. Am I nervous? Fuck yeah, but this is a once in a lifetime experience,” Bella said soothingly, kissing my lips. “This looks daunting because it’s so self-contained. At Lolla and Coachella, the audience was more widespread.”

“Edward, Bella?” Kellan called. “Lou was wondering when you guys wanted to do the sound check?”

“We’re going to be here at two on Friday,” I said. “Something about hair, makeup and some publicity shots for our website.”

“I forgot about that,” Kellan said, looking at his phone. “How about we do the sound check after that photo shoot?”

“So, four-ish?” Lou asked.

“Make it closer to five,” Bella chimed in. “I know that Nia is a stickler for perfection.” Lou nodded, running off to finish his safety checks for the numerous lights that were hanging above us.

We left the venue, going back to our hotel. I was a man possessed, desperately needing to make love to my wife. I needed to forget my fear of being on that stage, in front of twenty thousand people. I needed the reassurance from my wife, the woman who owned me, mind, body and soul.

Back at the hotel, I swept my wife into my arms and carried her to our bedroom. She quickly caught up with me, nuzzling and kissing my neck. Clothes were torn from our bodies and I tossed her onto the bed, kissing down her body. Spreading her legs, I took my first hit of her essence, calming me almost immediately. My tongue delved inside of her body and I was lost in her sweetness. Bella was writhing with my touch, my tongue, my fingers as I brought her closer to the brink. Her hips were rocking against my face, needing more from me. I would give her everything.

She was my everything.

Wrapping my lips around her clit, I eased two fingers inside of her, curling them perfectly. She was becoming completely unraveled as I feasted on her delectable pussy. My other hand was tugging on her nipple ring as she stared me, her brown eyes feral and desperate for release. I growled against her skin, making her head fall back. She was whimpering and as I grazed my pinky along her ass, her orgasm exploded from her. I kept my mouth on her as her body quaked. When she finished, she collapsed on the bed, her arms and legs akimbo. Her pale skin was covered in sweat. I crawled up her body, pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses along her sexy, lithe body. Cupping her face I kissed her lips, plunging my tongue between her lips.

“Hmmmm,” she moaned, her fingers tangling into my damp hair.

“On your hands and knees, Isabella,” I growled. She licked her lips, tasting herself from my kiss. With a smirk, she rolled over, hoisting herself onto her hands and knees. Her ass was plump and enticing. I got up on my knees, smacking her ass. She gasped, looking back at me hungrily. I stroked my cock, which was leaking and rock hard for her.

“So big, baby. Is that all for me?” she asked, wiggling her ass.

I smacked her ass again. “You know it is, baby,” I said. “Tasting your sweet pussy made me so hard. It hurts.”

“Then, use me to take the pain away,” she cooed. “Fuck me, Edward.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice, Bella,” I growled, lining up my cock with her leaking core. I ran my dick along her dripping folds, teasing her before I thrust deeply inside of her. She screamed, falling onto her elbows. I gripped her hips as I slammed into her, over and over again. My cock was coated with her arousal. I easily slid inside, feeling every inch of her body. “God damn, Bella. You’re so fucking sexy. So wet and coating my dick.”

“All for you, baby,” she breathed, looking back at me. “You make me wet. With your voice, your fingers, your tongue, your cock … Harder, Edward. Fuck me. Claim me as yours.”

“You are mine,” I grunted. I leaned forward, cupping her breasts as I guided her up, pressing my chest to her back. My hand slid down her slick skin and found her clit while the other twisted her nipple ring. She was moaning as I filled her with my hardness. She turned her head, kissing me deeply. Her hands joined mine, rubbing her clit and tugging on her nipple ring. She was whimpering, pleading for more. I eagerly complied and she was squirming in my arms. “Let go, baby. I want to feel you come all around my cock.”

“Oh, God,” she cried, her fingers moving quickly over her clit. “Yes, Edward. I love you. I love feeling you inside me. I’m yours, baby.”

“As I’m yours,” I breathed against her lips. “Come for me. Come, Bella.” She sobbed as her orgasm zipped through her, covering my cock with her release. I lost myself in her, my own orgasm exploding inside of her tight, sexy body. She leaned against me, panting heavily. I ran my hands along her body as she calmed down. She turned, kissing me tenderly. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered. We lay down and tangled together. She ran her fingers through my hair, smiling softly. “Feel better, handsome?”

“Yeah. Sorry about being so … _forceful,_ ” I chuckled nervously.

“Don’t be. I liked it,” she said, rolling me onto my back and lightly scratching her nails along my chest as she straddled my hips. “And we’re not even close to being done, baby. I want you to remember tonight, as we make love all night long. I want you to know that I’m yours and you’re mine. That it’s your cock who fucks me. That it’s you inside me.” She rolled her hips on my stomach. I could feel the evidence of me being inside her as she moved over me. My inner caveman was completely aroused that she was claimed by me. I sat up, kissing her deeply. Again, we made love, but it was all about Bella claiming me.

Suffice it say, it was the best night we’d had in a long, _long_ time. My fears in performing were extinguished as I felt Bella’s love and support all night long. Bella forgot about the letters and impending stalker situation. I fucked her stupid, she said, which was a welcome distraction. We fell asleep around dawn in a tangle of limbs and sweat-soaked skin, but completely and utterly sated.

The next day, we woke up around noon and got ready for our performance on _Late Night with Seth Myers._ Alice helped Bella look her best while Nia worked with all of us guys. I was not as fashionably challenged as Emmett and Jasper. I was wearing a pair of black dress pants with a slate gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Emmett was in a pair of jeans with a black batman shirt. If he could, Emmett would be shirtless because he sweat a lot during performances. However, he was forced into a short-sleeved shirt, much to his chagrin. Jasper wore a pair of charcoal gray pants and a black and gray checked shirt, along his ever-present fedora hat. It was his signature look, despite Nia’s insistence that it wasn’t in style.

It was soooo 2010.

Her words. Not mine.

Shortly before the taping, we did a sound check and were introduced to Seth Myers. He was a friendly guy, completely enamored with my wife. I knew he was happily married, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Hell, she looked absolutely gorgeous in her purple one-shouldered dress and pair of sparkly heels. Her hair was curled and her makeup was dark and sultry. We chatted amiably for a few moments before we did our sound check.

After our sound check, we waited in the green room while the show started. We talked with the other guest, a comedian who had a movie opening up this weekend. He was hysterical and had us all in stitches until he went out for his interview to promote his movie. After two segments with the comedian, we walked out on stage. Seth introduced us and we sang “La Musica del Cuore.” Bella and I teased and flirted with the camera and each other. The crowd cheered when we finished. The show broke for a commercial and we walked to have our interview with Seth.

We were fitted with microphones and settled into the couches next to the desk. Jasper and Emmett were on stools behind us. The stage manager gave us the count down and the cameras turned on as the lights went up. “And welcome back! We have with us the band, Breaking Midnight, who is starting their North American tour tomorrow in Madison Square Gardens. Thank you so much for joining me tonight,” Seth said.

Bella smiled, taking my hand and threading our fingers together. “Thank you for inviting us. It’s a pleasure being here!”

“So, this is your first tour as the headliner. How have rehearsals been going?” he asked.

“They have been a lot of hard work, but seeing and experiencing the finished product is nothing short of amazing,” I answered. “As a band, we were very hands-on with everything, from the lighting to the special effects to the costuming. The show is going to be exciting for the audience, showing them exclusive videos of our rehearsal process, new songs and upcoming projects.”

“It’s definitely been a labor of love,” Bella added. “I, personally, never knew all that went on to put on a major tour. We’d only ever been an opening act or done smaller tours. The venues we performed in were significantly smaller than where we’ll be performing tomorrow. It’s daunting, but extraordinarily exciting.”

“Now, I know that, as a band, you dealt with some issues after your Grammy wins,” Seth began. “How are you guys handling that situation?”

“That was all me,” Emmett shrugged. “I made some stupid mistakes and I’m dealing with the consequences. I let the fame and excitement get to me, hurting the ones that I love the most, my wife and my sister. Every day, it’s a struggle but with the support of my sister and my family, I’m working through my demons. Our manager, Kellan Moore, is going to be riding my ass for the entire tour.”

“That takes a lot of courage to say that, Emmett,” Seth said.

“It takes a lot more courage to deal with the realities,” Emmett countered. “Because of my stupid decisions, I am in a state of limbo with my marriage and my family,” he gestured to us, “doesn’t fully trust me. Hell, I don’t fully trust myself. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, you know? If I could go back in time, I’d never make those decisions. Like I said, I have to live with the consequences, unfortunate as they may seem.”

“Thank you for sharing that,” Seth said, giving him a sympathetic grin. “Now, onto lighter topics. After this tour, what are your plans as a band?”

“We’re currently working on a project with a movie studio. We just finished recording a new song for this new movie and have been asked to write the movie score,” I answered. I had called Larry and his brother-in-law, asking if I could share that tidbit of information. We could share the fact that we’d recorded a song and were working on the score, but no information about the movie could be divulged. Not yet. “Bella and I are going to be collaborating for this and we’re extremely excited for this new challenge.”

“On top of that, we’re going to take some time off and work on some new material for our next album once we’re done with the tour,” Bella said. “The past few years have been a whirlwind and we want a few months to just relax.”

“As busy as you’ve been, you definitely deserve some time off. Take a vacation, sit on a beach, just relax,” Seth chuckled. He turned, looking directly into the camera. “Information about their upcoming tour is linked to our website. However, if you want to see them perform in New York, you’re out of luck. The Garden sold out in ten minutes, for _both_ shows.” Seth turned back to us and beamed. “Thank you, again, for coming out and performing for our audience on the eve of your North American tour. We wish you all the best of luck. We’ll be right back, after these final words.”

The cameras went down and so did the lights. The microphones were removed from our bodies and we left the soundstage, after handshakes and a hug to my wife. In the green room, we discussed our performance with Kellan, Nia and Alice. As usual, he was positive. Alice was excited that our clothes were a big hit, especially Bella’s look. Nia said that we were trending on twitter, with numerous tweets about our performance and our upcoming tour. Who knew that #BreakingMidnight and #MidnightSunTour would be so popular? Let’s not mention #Edward&Bella4Ever.

There were a few negative responses to our interview, namely to Emmett’s comments about his decisions and his drug/alcohol addiction. There were a lot of people who were disappointed in his choices and made their opinions known. However, the negative comments and press about Emmett’s decisions were overshadowed by the excitement over the new movie Bella and I were scoring. Our fans wanted to know more, but we couldn’t announce anything, save for what I shared during the interview.

We changed back into our street clothes and left the studio, shortly before one in the morning. We had a long day ahead of us with our first performance and we needed to get our beauty rest. I wanted to celebrate with my wife, but she was exhausted and a little – okay, a lot – sore from our bedroom Olympics from the night previous. I settled on sleeping naked with her, feeling her body snuggled next to me.

The next day, we all were in a tizzy, panicking with last-minute jitters and performance anxiety. I think I was the worst. My perfectionist tendencies came out in full force as we prepared for our photo shoot and sound check. Everything had to be just perfect.

My guitar was out of tune.

The drums were too far to the left.

Jasper was using his blue bass when the red one sounded richer.

Bella’s microphone stand was too high.

The list went on and it wasn’t until Bella dragged me into her private dressing room off of stage right, giving me a blowjob, that I calmed down. All of my blood had flowed from my brain to my dick and I was a mumbling idiot until the sound check was over. Bella was just smiling smugly, knowing that she wielded such power over me.

She owned me, mind, body and spirit.

After our sound check, we ate dinner in the green room before getting ready for our first performance. Nia and Jasper went into his dressing room. Emmett sat down at another set of drums we’d requested in our rider. Bella and I hung out in our dressing room, canoodling on the couch.

The opening act, a solo artist from Twilight Records, started our show. They were performing for roughly a half hour before we would take the stage, once it was reset to our needs. We listened through the speakers and the singer was okay. He did little to rile up the audience. His music was melancholy and mellow. The audience was not feeling him and making their distaste quite apparent. Kellan came into our dressing room with Jared and they were prattling on the phone about finding a new opening act since this guy was such a dud.

“Sorry about this guy,” Jared said, hanging up his phone. “We thought he’d be dynamic, a perfect pairing for your band. Obviously, it was a mistake.”

“Maybe you can help him,” Bella argued. “His song choices are lacking, but he has talent.”

“The thing is, all of his songs sound like this,” Kellan replied, his nose wrinkled. “There are a few that are upbeat, but they all have this similar tone.”

“We’re going to lose the audience and momentum,” I sighed, pinching my nose.

“Which is why we put in a call for the Cliffhangers,” Jared said. “They just put out a new album and you guys are close with most of the band. A lot of your fans adore them. We should have used them in the first place. Nessie’s baby kind of put the kibosh on that, but they have someone taking her spot while she is at home with little Nugent.”

“Nugent?” Bella and I asked.

“Yeah! Her dad was a huge fan of Ted Nugent,” Jared shrugged. “She can’t stand the name Ted or Theodore. So, she went with Nugent.”

“Nugent,” I said, elongated the word. “Maybe we can have that be the name of our first born?”

“Fuck. No,” Bella laughed. “It’s cute for Nessie, but our hypothetical baby will not be named Nugent or Slayer or Axl.”

“Got it,” I snickered, kissing her nose.

“Kellan is a pretty awesome name,” Kellan smirked, pointing to his chest. “It would be an _honor_ to hold that distinction.”

“Kellan, we love you, but no thanks,” I snorted. He pouted, deflating as Jared nearly fell over in hysterics. Bella was giggling quietly, burying her face into my shoulder.

“Five minutes!” barked Lou through the door.

“If you don’t mind?” I asked, giving Kellan and Jared a look. They both left, understanding our ritual before a performance. We’d all huddle and pray, thanking God for our talents and good fortune. As they left, Jasper and Emmett came in. We clasped hands, making a tight circle. We all said our prayers, starting with Jasper and ending with me. With a group hug, we left and walked out to the stage. It was black and the crowd was screaming our names.

“BREAKING MIDNIGHT! BREAKING MIDNIGHT! BREAKING MIDNIGHT!” they chanted.

As the techs attached our ear protection, we felt the excitement of their screams and the energy of the packed stadium. Lou looked at us, a smile on his face. “You ready?” he asked, barely heard over the din.

“Let’s do this,” I yelled to him. Lou spoke briefly into his headset and the lights went up as our opening montage on the LCD screens began. It was a recording of an instrumental piece we’d done for the B-side of _Midnight Sun_ with various pictures of sunsets, flashes of us as a band, music and lyrics flashed on the screen. We got on stage, reaching our marks and picking up our instruments. Through our ear protection, we heard Lou barking orders and telling the sound engineers to fade out the pre-recorded music so we could take over, playing our first big hit, “La Cantante.”

If we thought the crowd was loud while they were chanting, it was deafening when we started playing and the stage lit up in a rainbow of colors. Without our ear protection, we would not have been able to hear each other. It was frightening, amazing, awe-inspiring and so unbelievably cool.

Two hours went by in the blink of an eye. Bella had several costume changes while Jasper and I changed shirts twice and Emmett lost his. The crowd was filled with so much energy, supporting us and singing along with each song we performed. After the last song, the lights went black and we ran off the stage. Alice handed me and Bella some water while Kellan did the same for Emmett and Jasper. The cheering, chanting began again.

Five minutes went past and we went back out onto the stage, pulling a song from before we were famous. Bella strapped on her own electric guitar and the opening strains of “Decode” filled the arena, along with more cheers. We had gotten permission from Paramore to use this song during our tour. They agreed, even working with us on a few songs for _Midnight Sun_. Bella and Hayley Williams’ voice blended so well together. It was like pure heaven listening to them harmonize.

The encore ran an additional fifteen minutes, ending with “La Musica del Cuore,” and all of the women in the audience swooning as I sang to my wife. As the final chord rang in the arena, I held up my hand. “Thank you, New York City! Good night!” The lights went black and once we were off stage, the stadium lights went up.

I took Bella’s hand, leading her to our dressing room. Even though I was physically and mentally exhausted, I needed her. Slamming the door, I stared into her eyes. Cupping her face, I kissed her deeply, pouring every ounce of love I felt for her in that one kiss. We shared so much, but our love of music was what tethered us together, forever. It was with that love that we were able to perform at Madison Square Gardens to twenty thousand people, all chanting our names.

“Edward,” she breathed, her hands twining in my sweaty hair. “My love …”

“ _Il mio cantante_ ,” I whispered, kissing her once again.

Performing in front of all those people was not what I expected. At all.

With Bella, it was infinitely _more_.

**A/N: Sooooooo … they had their first performance. It went well, yeah? Check out my blog for pictures of Madison Square Gardens, _Late Night with Seth Myers_ and clothes that they wore. Additionally, I have their tour schedule posted online as well. As they go from city to city, I will post pictures of their adventures, venues and such. You can find that under the _La Musica del Cuore_ tab. I’m about two-thirds of the way done with their tour, working on the climax of the story. **

**You can also find me on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and twitter: tufano79. Up next will be their second night at MSG and the first few cities on their first leg of their tour. Leave me some loving!**


	6. Beantown

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be their second night at MSG and the first few cities on their first leg of their tour.**

**Chapter Six: Beantown**

**BPOV**

Rushing off the stage, Edward enfolded me into his arms. Our first performance at Madison Square Gardens had been a rousing success. My husband was an emotional mess, crying into my shoulder. Hell, I was joining him. Everything we had worked for had culminated in this moment.

Yes, we’d won numerous awards and accolades, but nothing compared to performing live in front of twenty thousand screaming fans, chanting for more.

“You’ve got to keep moving, Edward,” shouted Emmett.

Edward pulled away from me, nodding as we walked to the backstage area. The stage hands removed our ear protection, congratulating us on an amazing opening night. I smiled, guzzling down the bottle of water quickly. Edward was doing the same, alternating with Gatorade. After that, we went into our respective dressing rooms. We were having a brief after party with a few invited fans who had won a radio contest.

“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Edward said, plucking at his soaked shirt. “I think our fans would pass out from my stench.”

“I’ll join you,” I murmured, shimmying out of my short dress. We took our shower, playing with each other and hosing off the sweat and grime from performing. I tossed my hair up into a messy top knot and put on another sexy dress. It was simple and black, cut close to the body with one long sleeve and strapless on the other arm. There were three cut outs along my ribcage, displaying my stomach. Edward looked at me hungrily, his fingers gliding along my arm. “You like?”

“I love,” he purred. “But, I can’t wait to take this off, baby. We need to celebrate tonight.”

“I have every intention of cashing in on that, handsome,” I cooed, kissing his lips. “Now, let’s go be sociable and give our fans their photo op.” I stuffed my feet into a pair of flats. My legs were sore from wearing heels on stage. I knew that Alice was going to give me shit, but I did not want to have surgery for neuromas or whatever because I wore heels all of the time.

The after party was a lot of fun. The fans were all various ages, from a ten-year-old girl to a fifty-year-old man. We took pictures, signed autographs and even played a short acoustic set. Around midnight, our fans left and Nia began posting the pictures to twitter, Instagram and Facebook. However, the high of performing was wearing off quickly and all I wanted was my king-sized bed in the Peninsula Hotel. Edward saw my eyelids droop and he called the limos.

After a thorough inspection by the security company, we were allowed in our rooms. The promise of all-night fucking dwindled as I found Edward, naked as the day he was born, snoring on the bed. I giggled, agreeing with him and crawling beside him.

The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed. I heard Edward’s voice filter through the closed door to our bedroom. I put on some pajamas, padding out to the living room. My husband, along with the rest of the band, were seated on the couches. Kellan had a copy of the _New York Times_ while Edward and Emmett both had their computers opened. “What’s going on?” I asked.

“Reviews,” Alice chirped. She handed me a copy of another paper, turned to the Arts and Entertainment section. “Read, Bella! It’s nothing but great news!”

I nodded, picking up the paper and reading the lengthy column about our first concert in our national tour.

_ Party ‘til Midnight! _

_Madison Square Garden was lit up like a firework with the opening night of Breaking Midnight’s North American Tour,_ Midnight Sun _, named aptly for their amazing, Grammy Award winning sophomore album. This reporter has been a huge fan of the band since they burst on the scene five years ago and since then, Breaking Midnight has matured and grown musically. It was phenomenal to hear and to witness, first hand._

_The one negative of the concert was the opening act. The new artist, also a Twilight musician, did little to hype up the audience. Kellan Moore, long-time manager and representative from the label, said that the artist would not be continuing with the tour. The Cliffhangers, a smaller band and long-time collaborators with Breaking Midnight, have been invited to join the tour and they’re packing their bags. Their first performance will be tonight at the second sold-out performance at The Garden!_

_After the abysmal opening act, the crowd began chanting for the band. The lights dimmed and LED screens exploded in a kaleidoscope of colors, pictures and memories of the band. Seamlessly, Breaking Midnight, picked up with the instrumental music being piped through the speakers and for almost two and half hours, the dynamic Edward Cullen, with his sexy and silky voice and his gorgeous wife, Isabella, with her ethereal vocals, performed effortlessly. They sounded like a combination of Evanescence and Paramore, with the familiarity of famous bands like Bon Jovi and U2._

_What made the concert extra special were the behind the scenes videos, sneak peeks into their rehearsals and some intimate interviews with everyone from the band. On top of that, the members of the band looked sexy on stage, moving as a single unit. However, the fire between the two lead singers, Edward and Bella, was palpable. It’s no doubt that these two lovebirds will be making beautiful music for many, many years to come._

_Breaking Midnight is on a four-month long North American tour. Information regarding upcoming tour dates are linked to our home website. Hopefully, you can snag a ticket before they all sell out. The_ Midnight Sun Tour _is undoubtedly a hot ticket for this summer._

“I feel bad for that opening act,” I said, making a face. “He is getting torn apart. What was his name?”

“Santorelli,” Emmett shrugged. “Kellan said that he’s going back to his home town of Tulsa. He was released from his Twilight contract.”

“Ouch,” I grimaced. “Like I said to Kellan, he has the talent. He just needed guidance about how to create a dynamic set list.”

“Jared mentioned that to him, but Santorelli said that his music was perfect without all of the bells and whistles,” Emmett explained. “Jared said that with that attitude, he could just go home. So, he did.”

“Well, okay then,” I snickered, moving to sit next to my husband. He was reading a review on some private blog. From his crooked grin, it was just as glowing as the review I’d just read from the _New York Times._ He pulled me close, kissing my temple and we read together. We were so enthralled with the reviews that we didn’t hear Kellan and Jared come into the suite. They were carrying bags and it all smelled delicious.

“Are you guys celebrating your excellent first performance?” Kellan beamed, placing the food onto the dining room table. “I’ve heard nothing but positive reviews.”

“Your two albums are soaring back up the charts,” Jared nodded. “There’s even a petition going around the web for more instrumental music like what was played at the beginning of the show. We’ve got enough for a full-length album. We just need your go-ahead to put it out there.”

“The opening music was on a B-side from _Midnight Sun,_ ” Edward said. “That’s been heard before.”

“But, it was only a B-side. Five songs. We can do another full-length album with mostly instrumental stuff and some previously recorded tracks,” Jared smiled. “Two of the songs from your demo album are amazing and deserve to be out there for your fans to hear. Plus, the song that Jasper wrote about his uncle? Pure magic! It has a slight country feel, with that alternative edge.” Jasper blushed, hiding behind Nia, who was smiling so proudly.

“Come up with a few ideas,” Edward sighed. “I don’t want to rush out another album of crap. Send a recording to us by the time we get to Portland, Maine.”

“I’ll have my best guys working on this,” Jared said, rushing out of the suite and his phone pressed to his ear.

Kellan rubbed his hands together, sitting down on one of the dining room chairs. Most everyone had finished reading the reviews and were making themselves a plate of food that Kellan had delivered. “So, plans for today and tonight. Obviously, you’ve got the show tonight. The Cliffhangers will be here for opening, but we may need to delay the start of the show. Their flight arrives about an hour before we start.”

“That might make the crowd rowdy,” Jasper said, his mouth stuffed with waffles.

“It might, but it was either delay the start or stay with Santorelli,” Kellan grimaced.

“Delay the start,” we all agreed.

“Anyway, after the show and the party in the green room, we’ll be heading back here while the stage is dismantled and loaded up into the trucks to go to the next stop in Boston. You’ll be leaving by mid-morning. You may have some time explore Boston, but we have an acoustic set planned at Boston College for WUMB, the alternative radio station in Boston.”

“What time will that start?” Emmett asked.

“Eight. There’s some sort of meet-and-greet beforehand with food and drinks. You play and then go to your hotel,” Kellan said. He looked at his papers. “Which is the Four Seasons. Each of you is getting a suite. Emmett, I’m staying with you.” Emmett wrinkled his nose, but he knew that Kellan was babysitting him. Kellan just grinned like a buffoon. “I hope my snoring doesn’t keep you up.”

“He’s really bad,” Nia giggled.

“Fabulous,” Emmett grumbled.

“What time do we need to be at the venue?” I asked. “And will it be swept by the security team?”

“Ryan and his partner, Alec, will cover the TD Center. Ainsley, Rex and Mark will be with you guys,” Kellan said. “Sound check will happen at four and the audience will be let in around quarter after six. Now, you guys have the rest of today to relax. The limos will be here around six to pick you up. We don’t need to do a sound check since everything’s set up from yesterday. Be lazy. Rest your voices. If you need anything, just call me.” With that, he got up and left us in our suite.

“I think I’m going to take a nap,” Jasper yawned. “I’m still exhausted and my early morning wakeup didn’t help matters.” He winked at Nia, patting her bottom.

“What? I got an email alert about your performance. I had to congratulate you,” Nia purred, kissing Jasper’s nose.

“With your mouth?” he growled, sweeping her in his arms and running them back to his room. “Turnabout is fair play, Nia!” The door slammed shut and muffled squeals filled the suite.

I shot a glance at Alice and she was smiling, shaking her head, but I knew that she was hurting. Her eyes were dull. I wanted to ask if she was okay. As if she knew that I was going to say something, Alice got up. “I’m going to hit up the gym and then enjoy some time in the spa. I’m due for a pedicure. Bella, do you want to come?”

“Gym, no. Spa, yes,” I giggled.

“I’ll make the arrangements,” Alice said, walking over to me and giving me a hug. “Congratulations, guys. I’m so proud of you.” She kissed Edward’s cheek and left the suite.

Emmett was still perusing the web, randomly blurting out positives about our performance. He was beaming, over-the-moon excited about all of the good news. Edward and I were curled up on the couch, idly listening to him. I even dozed off thanks to Edward’s tender touch along my back. Emmett barked when his cell phone went off. “Shit! It’s Rosie. What do I do?”

“Answer it, you goof,” I said grouchily. My nap was disturbed by his yelling. I huffed and buried my nose into Edward’s belly while he chuckled quietly. He went back to rubbing my back, dragging his fingers through my hair. Emmett darted out of the living room and into his bedroom. His excitement for Rose calling him was barely contained.

“Sorry about crashing last night. I really wanted to have some fun with you, but once I saw the bed all I wanted to do was sleep,” Edward said. I looked up at him and saw that he was blushing. “I’ll make it up to you tonight, baby. I promise.”

“Edward, I was just as tired as you. Though, trying to get into bed was a challenge since you were spread eagle and drooling. I barely had a corner,” I giggled.

“You could have pushed me,” Edward said, moving so he was laying down with me.

“In case you haven’t noticed, you’re all muscle and it’s not easy for little ole me to push your muscular ass,” I said, running my fingers through his hair. “You were down for the count, Edward. Eventually, you moved and I had more than a corner.”

“I am sorry, _cantante_ ,” he said, kissing my nose. “Despite the fact that I slept like a freaking rock, I’m still tired. Nap with me?”

“Nap as in sleep or nap as in get freaky, like Jasper,” I asked.

“Nap as in sleep, baby,” he chuckled. He got up and easily slung me in his arms. We curled up on the bed, falling asleep within seconds.

xx LMDC xx

 _How did we get here?_  
When I used to know you so well? Yeah  
  


_How did we get here?_  
Well, I think I know  
  


_Do you see what we've done?_  
We're gonna make such fools of ourselves  
  
Do you see what we've done?  
We're gonna make such fools of ourselves  
  


_How did we get here  
When I used to know you so well? Yeah, Yeah_

__  
How did we get here?  
I used to know you so well

_I think I know_  
I think I know  
There is something I see in you  
It might kill me, I want it to be true

“Thank you, New York,” I yelled as the lights went down. We’d just finished our encore with ‘Decode.’ Carefully, we walked off the stage. Edward helped me since Alice put me in a pair of platforms. I didn’t want to break my ankle on the second day of our tour. Granted, they were more comfortable than the heels I wore yesterday, they still posed a possible threat in my clumsiness. The crowd was chanting our names and it was definitely intense to hear that, to see it. Edward even went so far as taking his cell phone out, posing me, Jasper and himself in a selfie with the first few rows of the crowd. He beamed and said that it was on his Instagram page.

When we got backstage, Edward had over ten thousand new followers and the picture had fifteen thousand likes. It was honestly insane.

“Two down, about seventy more to go,” Jasper said, wiping down his face. “It’s such a fucking rush! Almost better than sex.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Edward quipped, stripping off his sweaty t-shirt. After the sound technicians removed his ear protection, he poured an entire bottle of water over his head, shaking it off and splattering all of us.

“Gross, Cullen! I do not want to be covered with your sweat droplets,” Emmett grumbled.

“Like you’re one to talk, Em,” I snorted. “You’re practically naked and still sweating bullets.”

Emmett looked down to his shorts and bare feet, shrugging. “I told Alice that she should not put me in pants. I mean, with all of the drumming I’m doing, I’m keeping this lean and mean. Be grateful I’m not wearing my tighty-whiteys or a Speedo.”

“That is not a picture I want to have in my head, Emmett. Thank you,” Jasper deadpanned. “I need to bleach my brain. Yuck!”

“Come on, guys. You’ve got a small party of fans who want to do meet with you,” Nia said. “There’s no time for showers since the stage is going to be dismantled and your dressing rooms are being packed up as we speak.”

“I’m disgusting, Nia,” Edward groaned. “And I don’t know where I tossed my shirt!”

Nia smirked, tossing him a piece of black fabric. “Courtesy of your sister,” she snickered. Edward tugged on the new shirt along with an identical button down that he wore for the concert. It wasn’t sweat soaked, but Edward was squirming since he put clean clothes on his dirty body.

My husband is a bit of a germaphobe.

We went down to the green room, which was still set up with the items we requested on our rider. We weren’t over the top with asking for only a specific type of champagne or peeled grapes. Each of us included three favorite food items. Edward asked for apples with caramel, M&Ms and Garrett’s Chicago Mix of Popcorn. Emmett had pork rinds, beef jerky and summer sausage. Jasper enjoyed cornbread, chili and apple fritters. I was the healthiest with a veggie tray with ranch dressing, bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and cheesecake. So, the cheesecake wasn’t that healthy, but it was damn delicious. In addition to our food, we had a variety of beers, soda and bottled water for me. I tried to avoid carbonation as much as possible since it wreaked havoc on my vocal cords.

Smiling with our fans, we hung out with them for an hour. They asked questions and took pictures. Unlike the night before, we did not do an acoustic set. I knew that Edward was vocally fatigued. Plus, the fans from the night before had won a contest for a backstage performance. I preferred talking to them and not performing. Hearing how our music impacted them, that’s what made all of this real for me. The money and the fame were just bonuses. Being able to reach people with my music, the lyrics and performing, it was beyond my wildest dreams.

After the meet and greet, we all piled into the waiting limos. They sped through New York City, arriving at the Peninsula Hotel in no time. We dragged our bodies out of the cars and up to our suite. Edward pulled me into the shower after our clothes had been stripped from us. He kissed me languidly and our shower turned into a sensual ride of lovemaking, bringing me to the edge of pleasure numerous times before the water turned cold. Edward picked me up since I was boneless and carried me to the king-sized bed.

The next morning, we were all dragging as we ate breakfast. The adrenaline from the performances wear off quickly and leave us drained the next day. I was grateful for how the tour was set up. Kellan was freaking brilliant. After each performance, we’d leave the following day and travel. The next day, we’d perform and the cycle would repeat. Every so often, we’d get a few days’ rest for our weary bodies and over-worked voices.

Once breakfast was done, we loaded up into the tour buses that were parked behind the hotel. Edward and I had a bus to ourselves, while Emmett, Jasper, Nia and Kellan were in the other one. Alice preferred to fly since she got car sick, but if she did ride the buses, she’d be with Edward and me.

Settled in our bus, Edward pulled out his laptop. “Finally some time to work on that movie score,” he said, opening Finale, a music composition software package.

“Have you read the script?” I asked, sitting next to him.

“I skimmed through it,” Edward said. “Have you?”

“I tried, but it’s all very confusing. I’m certain it’ll be an amazing movie, but it doesn’t translate well to the written word,” I chuckled. “Do you have some ideas?”

“I’m taking some of the musical phrases from our recording and expanding on that,” he said. “Changing keys, using various modes and altering the time signature. I’m just paranoid that Jerome and Larry will hate it.”

“They loved the single, Edward,” I encouraged him.

“We’re great at writing our own music, but arranging for a full orchestra scares the crap out of me,” he said, sitting back and tugging at his hair.

“Are you afraid that Larry will give you an F?” I quipped.

“Ha, ha,” he deadpanned. Then, he bit his lip. Shooting me a furtive glance, he nodded. “I respect and love Larry. I don’t want to disappoint him. He’s been through so much crap. The accident, divorcing his wife and starting a new life.”

“As odd as it sounds, write the music for the movie. Ignore the person who is asking for it, Edward. Come on, let’s start with some ideas and take it from there,” I suggested, taking his computer and writing down one of the phrases from the chorus. We spent the three hours on the bus, working on the musical score, coming up with the various phrases and motives from the single. We even managed to work out about twenty measures of one of those ideas. We decided to do a piano reduction of the orchestration, then writing the parts, along with the transpositions, once we had the score written.

I knew I’d have to drag out my _Tonal Harmony_ text book. I forgot all of the transpositions for all of the various instruments. Out of all of the tests I took with Larry in music theory, that was the one test that I failed. He gave some tutoring and I retook the test, getting a C. I just couldn’t understand the concept of changing keys for each instrument. Why couldn’t all instruments be in one key?

But, I digress.

We pulled up to the Four Seasons, being greeted by the manager. He led us into our suites, all separate from each other. Alice was already there, anxious to do some sightseeing. Edward wanted to continue working on the movie score. However, he was out voted and we decided to walk along the Freedom Trail. Before we left, Kellan reminded us that we had to be back to the hotel by five so we could go to the Berklee College of Music building for the acoustic set for that Boston alternative radio station. He also reminded us that we needed to have protection with us.

With the two amazing performances, I’d honestly forgotten about the threat against us. I blanched, remembering those letters. Edward saw the color drain from my face and he told everyone else to go. “Beautiful, look at me,” he whispered, taking my face into his hands. “We’re safe.”

“I’d forgotten about the letters. It slipped my mind. What if they’re still following us? I mean, they could be taking pictures and stalking our every move,” I hissed. “Hell, they could even be one of our stage crew!”

“Bella, I doubt that. Twilight Records runs extensive background checks on all employees, including the stage crew. I spoke to Lou, our stage manager, and he had to be fingerprinted and was run through some computer program to see if he was a convicted felon or sex offender,” Edward murmured, taking me into his arms. “I know that you’re afraid of someone following us and tracking our every move, but staying hidden is not the answer. Do you remember what I said about a life half lived?”

“I know,” I scoffed. I shot up, twisting my hair up into a messy twist. “I know. But, having the body guards, it’s a constant reminder that we’ve got some psycho, like Jacob, stalking us. I thought we had moved passed all of this crap, Edward.”

“I thought so, too,” he said, stopping my frantic pacing. “I refuse to let this stop us living our lives, _cantante_. Yes, we have protection, but it’s for our protection. Our safety. Besides, you won’t even know that they’re with us. Rex and Mark will follow us at a safe distance. Come on. Let’s get outside and have some fun.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“You sure, beautiful?” he asked, brushing his thumbs along my cheeks. I nodded, kissing him sweetly. “Let’s go, then.” He sent a quick text and then we left our hotel room. Mark and Rex were waiting in the lobby. Edward gave them a smile and we left the hotel. We caught up with everyone just outside of Little Italy. We took pictures, acting like obnoxious tourists. We also mingled with a few fans who recognized either Edward or me. It was a lot of fun and it definitely was needed. Spending so much time inside was boring and could easily translate into all of us getting cranky.

Around four, we walked back to the hotel. Alice dragged me into her suite so she could beautify me for the radio gig at Berklee College of Music. “I’m glad that you decided to come,” she said as she curled my hair. “I know that the letters are scary as fuck, but you can’t stop living your life.”

“I know. Edward reminded me,” I shrugged. “Having the security team helps, but I don’t know. Perhaps I’m being irrational. You know?”

“You’re not. You and Edward have every right to be scared. Just don’t let it rule your life,” she said.

“Are you okay? I’m sorry about missing out on our spa time in New York,” I frowned. “And for Jasper’s …”

“Bella, don’t stress. You’ll go prematurely gray,” she giggled. “And get worry wrinkles. I know that Jasper and Nia have a healthy sex life. He was never that way with me. He treated me like a porcelain doll half the time we were together because he was afraid that Edward would kick his ass for dating me.”

“And he’s not afraid of Kellan?” I snorted.

“Kellan may look all buff, but he’s a wuss,” Alice retorted. “I can kick his ass. He’s too much of a nerd to do any sort of harm.”

“You know a little too much about our manager, Mary Alice,” I said, arching a brow. “Is there something going on between you two?”

“I don’t know. Maybe?” Alice blushed. “Kellan and I have a close friendship. I don’t want to lose that, but we’ve been flirting. A lot. I could be reading some mixed signals, but he hasn’t made any moves other than flirting, longer hugs than normal and being really sweet.”

“Well, you could do a lot worse than Kellan,” I teased. “For being almost thirty-five, he’s in killer shape and sexy as hell. If I weren’t married to your brother, I’d go for him.”

“That’s my one concern is our age difference. Eleven years is a long time, Bella,” Alice said, wrinkling her nose.

“It would have been a big deal if you were eleven and he was twenty-two. But you’re not. You’re both consenting adults,” I argued. “Just go with it. See where this goes, okay?”

“I’ll keep an open mind, but honestly I think it’s just his personality. Kellan flirts with _everyone_ ,” Alice sighed. “Now, for tonight, we’re going a little sexier.”

“Do I want to know?” I groaned.

“It’s cute, though,” Alice said, putting down the curling iron. She got up and revealed my outfit. It was a black, white, red and tan plaid skirt that would hit above the knees. On top was a red leather corset and black leather booties. “Kind of goth chic, hmmmm?”

“This is not me, Ali,” I said. “Are you going to paint my nails black and make me wear black lipstick?”

“No, silly. Red nails, dark eyes with more natural makeup,” Alice sang. “You’ll look great. Trust me.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. She finished curling my hair and then turned to my face. As usual, my hair and makeup was perfect. I didn’t look like a circus clown. I quickly dressed into my outfit, having Alice lace me up. However, she wasn’t strong enough. I had to have Edward do it because my tits were going to fall out with Alice’s lace job. I did not want to get arrested for indecent exposure. Though, the gleam in my husband’s eyes was predatory as he looked at my outfit. “You like?” I asked, spinning around and shaking my ass.

“You are going to get me in trouble, Mrs. Cullen. I may have to beat off fans with my guitar with you looking as hot as you are,” he said, smacking my behind.

“I’ll have to do the same, hubby. Alice dressed you exceptionally in leather pants,” I cooed, sliding my hands along his own delicious butt. “Commando, baby?”

He smirked, kissing me deeply before Kellan barked at us to get into the bus. A short drive later, we arrived at the venue. Edward and I were introduced to the DJs who hosted the contest. As a band, we took pictures with them, along with a few other local celebrities before we went into the auditorium. Behind the curtains, we made sure that our equipment was set up the way we liked it. Edward was using his acoustic guitar, but there was also a grand piano on the stage. I had my twelve string acoustic. Jasper was using an electric bass while Emmett was playing a box drum, known as a cajon.

The curtains opened and we were greeted with a rousing applause. It was more subdued due to the location, but the excitement was definitely there. The show tonight was going to be short, playing only our biggest hits acoustically. The set list was only six or seven songs long, per the radio station’s request, making it about a forty-minute show. It honestly went by too quickly. Before I knew it, we were playing ‘La Musica del Cuore’ and wrapping up our performance.

Afterward, we went out to the lobby of the auditorium. There were various buffets set up with munchies and stand-up tables. We quickly made plates and ate a haphazard dinner before taking a slew of pictures with our fans. One of the most memorable moments was this little boy, Evan, who was about eight or nine, with his dad. The boy had autism and was, up until he heard our music, nonverbal. But, once he heard the songs, he started babbling along and eventually learned all of the words, using our songs to communicate.

Evan took to Edward immediately, running up to him and hugging his legs. He began singing part of “La Musica del Cuore” to him. Evan’s dad, Walter, said that was his way of saying I love you. We all melted, especially me. Seeing my husband interact with this little boy and singing duets with him, it made my ovaries burst. I couldn’t wait to start a family with him. We took pictures with Evan and Walter and inundated them with swag, t-shirts, drum sticks, guitar picks, backstage passes for the concert tomorrow and an autographed picture of the band. Edward even gave Evan his personal email address, telling him to write him any time. With one more hug from Evan and a picture with just him, he left since it was past his bedtime.

After that, we had another hour and then the DJs, Philbert and Liv, came over. “That was such an amazing show,” Liv gushed. “And how you interact with your fans, it’s no wonder why we had to move this to a bigger venue.”

“Originally, it was going to be at a student-run coffee house on the campus of Boston College,” Philbert nodded, pushing up his thick glasses. He had this cool hipster vibe to him, with a touch of nerd. “But, with the amount of emails and phone calls we had, we scrambled to find a large place. Thankfully, the auditorium worked out. It wasn’t this small intimate setting we wanted, but definitely so much more!”

“It was a pleasure to come,” Edward smiled. “We love doing this. Performing in front of massive audiences is very rewarding, but actually talking and interacting with our fans; that’s what makes it infinitely more special. And that little boy, Evan … he was so stinking adorable.”

“Dad won the passes for this event,” Liv cooed. “It was during our morning show and we had our listeners write in or send a picture of why they should be able to come to this private acoustic set. Walter sent in a picture of Evan, explaining how his autistic, nonverbal son was now communicating, thanks to your music. When we called him, saying he’d won the tickets, he cried. I joined him. We had to go to commercial since I was a snot-sobbing mess.”

“It’s that type of stuff that makes us melt,” I breathed, threading my fingers with my husband’s. Edward kissed my temple, whispering his love for me in Italian.

“Well, we know that you guys have a concert tomorrow. Go take it easy and rest up your voices. We have another set of fans coming to the concert and we’ll be cheering from stage left,” Philbert beamed. “And I know that you got Walter and Evan backstage passes. They will be over the moon excited about that.”

“They’re in a private sky box, usually reserved for our families, but we don’t have anyone coming,” Emmett said. “Up to twenty people can come on those tickets. Plus, they’ll have access to our sound check and we can show them around the stage.”

“You guys are simply awesome,” Liv squealed, hugging me. “Hands down, one of my favorite bands. Your music is amazing, but the love you have for your fans … _wow!_ ”

“Okay, Liv. Step away from the celebrities,” Philbert chuckled, pulling her away from me. “I apologize for my partner. I think she drank too much.”

“You stop,” she snorted, smacking Philbert’s arm. “I am sorry. I did go into fangirl mode. Anyway, we appreciate you coming out and doing this. The next time you’re in Beantown, let us know!”

“We will,” I said. We shook hands with them and went out to the waiting tour bus. Our equipment had already been loaded up, thanks to the handful of stage crew that Kellan brought with us. We pulled away, driving to the hotel and went to our separate suites.

xx LMDC xx

Soft kisses traveled down my bare back. I hummed, burrowing my nose into the pillow. Warm, calloused hands slid down my sides, caressing my breasts. “Bella,” whispered my husband.

“Sleepy,” I said, trying to hid my smile.

He chuckled darkly, palming my ass and his fingers dipped between my legs. “And wet,” he purred, his lips dragging along my neck. “I want you, _cantante_. Last night wasn’t nearly enough.” I spread my legs, allowing him more access. He swirled his fingers over my opening. “Fuck, Bella. You’re soaked. Do you want me?”

“I want your cock,” I said, turning to look over my shoulder. “I want to see your cock inside me.”

“Want me to fuck in front of the mirror?” he growled, his fingers sliding inside me.

“Yes,” I breathed. He smiled, slow and sexy as he pulled me from the bed. There was a tall mirror at the foot of the bed. Edward sat down on the chest, stroking his cock. His muscles in his arms rippled with each twist of his arm. “Hmmm, that is fucking sexy, baby.”

“Not as sexy as seeing your pussy filled with this, beautiful,” he growled. “On my lap and spread those legs. I want to see your wet pussy on display for me as I fuck you.”

I sat on his lap, facing the mirror. He spread my legs as he ran his hardness through my folds. I shuddered, needing him inside me. “Edward, please?” I begged. He turned my head, kissing me deeply as he continued to tease my body with his cock. He stopped kissing me, staring into my eyes. “Fuck me,” I whispered.

“Look at us,” he commanded. I blinked, turning my head and focusing on where we would be joined. He placed his swollen head of his cock at my pussy lips. “Watch as I slide inside you, Bella. Filling every inch of your wet, needy pussy.” I whimpered, morphing into a groan as his hips flexed, pushing his erection inside. “Fucking beautiful. Keep your eyes on us, baby. Lose yourself as I make you come so hard.”

“God damn,” I whispered, watching as he easily thrust in and out of me. I cupped my breasts, moving sinuously with him, taking him deeper inside.

“That’s it, baby. Take more of me,” he murmured, his thumbs rubbing my asshole. “Like that, _cantante_.”

“More,” I begged. I heard him chuckle behind me and one of his hands moved away from my ass. There was a loud slurp and his wet finger toyed with my asshole. I stopped moving, as did he and he eased his finger inside my ass. “Fuck, baby. I’m so fucking turned on.”

“I can feel it, Bella. You’re dripping all over my cock,” he growled. “Look at how wet you are. I want you to fucking squirt all over us, love.”

I bit my lip, moving my hand to my clit. Rolling it with my fingers, we began moving again. I was so filled and so turned on, that I knew that I’d explode. Edward’s cock inside of my pussy, sliding in and out and hitting that perfect spot that would make me soak us both. His fingers pumping in my ass, making me quake in pleasure. My own fingers feeling how drenched I was as I circled my clit. I gasped as the warmth for my orgasm rumbled in my belly. “That’s it, Bella. Let go,” Edward whispered, his hips moving against mine harshly as he added another finger in my ass. “You like that, baby. You’re so tight around my cock. I want you to come, Bella. I need you to come.”

I grunted, closing my eyes as I lost myself in what I was feeling. Edward was _everywhere._ The sound of our skin slapping as we came together was the soundtrack of our lovemaking. My orgasm was right there. I could feel the wetness seeping out of me as the muscles in my pussy contracted. “Oh, FUCK!” I barked as my body uncoiled, forcing Edward out of me. I lost all control. Edward was saying something behind me as he ran his cock along my folds before slamming back into me. Opening my eyes, I saw the mirror was covered with evidence of my release. Edward came soon after me, his own streams of cum filling me with warmth.

“Hot damn, Bella,” Edward chuckled. “You really lost it.” He moved me off his lap and inspected his handiwork.

“I was on sensory overload. It was all too much,” I panted, moving so I was on the bed. “Your cock in me, your fingers fucking my ass and your dirty mouth … yeah, sensory overload.” Edward moved so he was laying with his head by my feet. His eyes glazed over as he looked at me. “What?”

“I’m going total caveman, but seeing this,” he said, running his fingers over my still sensitive pussy, “is such a fucking turn on. Knowing that you’re mine and that I’m yours.” He pushed my legs apart and looked intently at my sex. He leaned down, running his tongue along my slit.

“Oooooh, GOD,” I screamed. I shuddered violently as he licked every inch of my pussy, growling like some sort of animal. He didn’t stop until I came twice more, completely exhausted from our raunchy wakeup call.

Crawling up my body, he gathered me in his arms. “We taste good together,” he purred, nuzzling my cheek. I turned and kissed him, tasting our combined flavors on his mouth. He was right, we did taste good together. “Let’s get some more sleep before our show tonight.”

“You just had to have me?” I giggled, nipping at his mouth.

“Your bare back and adorable little ass were tempting me too much,” he said, smacking my ass again. “I love you, Bella. I hope you know that.”

“I love you more, Edward. And you show me how much you love every day,” I smiled, brushing his disheveled hair away from his face. He grinned crookedly, folding me in his arms and holding me tightly. I sighed contentedly, drifting off asleep quickly.

We woke up around two. Alice dragged me down to the spa and the three of us enjoyed some girly pampering time. I got a fresh pedicure and a no-chip manicure. Nia got a massage and pedicure. Alice enjoyed having her hair blown out. When we were done, we continued our girly time up in Alice’s suite while she perfectly put on my makeup for the show and curled my hair. Nia was flipping through her phone. “I got some more reviews from our performances,” she said.

“What did they say?” Alice asked.

“The reviews for the second night at The Gardens were similar to the first night,” Nia said. “However, the reviews from last night’s acoustic set and the story about the autistic boy? They are beyond complimentary.”

“We’re in the paper?” I squeaked.

Nia nodded, getting up and picking up the complimentary paper that was left on Alice’s doorstep. She flipped a few pages, handing me the paper. There was a large colored picture of the band with Evan in Edward’s arms. I skimmed the article, swooning at how they described us and Edward’s interaction with little Evan. “Wow,” I breathed. “I can’t believe this. So many positive remarks.”

“That’s because you guys are freaking awesome,” Nia breathed. “I also looked on the website for the radio station. Liv and Philbert totally went on and on about great the acoustic set was. On top of that, they were so excited about how well you interacted with the fans.”

“Philbert … what a name,” Alice snickered.

“It’s a stage name, Alice,” I said. “His real name is Neil, but he plays a part on the radio station. That’s why he chose Philbert.”

“But, couldn’t he have chosen a cooler name? Like Thor or Gideon or Sebastian?” Alice asked.

“I don’t know, but I’ll ask him if I see him,” I deadpanned. “Are we almost done? Kellan wants us to be at the TD Center by five. It’s almost half past four. I still need to change.”

“Just one more curl and then we’re through,” Alice said. With a smile, she turned me around. “Ta-da!”

“Perfect,” I smiled. I stood up, hugging her and Nia before darting off to my suite. I found my outfit for the show tonight. It was not my usual attire, but cute nonetheless. It was a pair of striped shorts – vintage Versace, according to Alice – that highlighted my long legs. On top, I wore a sequined teal tank top and matching shoes. Since my top was so blingy, my jewelry was simple with just my wedding band and a pair of dangling citrine earrings. I tossed my hair into a loose side ponytail after I changed. Edward strolled out, wearing a pair of grey checked pants with a lighter shade of blue t-shirt. In his hands, he held a similarly colored button-down. “I see that Alice coordinated us tonight.”

“She usually tries,” Edward chuckled. “I think you’re going to blind our fans, baby.”

“I agree,” I giggled. “But, it’s a cute outfit. I wouldn’t wear it anywhere but on stage, but I like it.”

Edward was about to respond, but his cell phone went off on the nightstand. He sauntered over, picking it up and answering, “We’re on our way down, Kellan. Don’t get your boxers in a wad.”

I smacked him. “Be nice,” I hissed.

“Yes, Bella just reminded me to be nice,” Edward chuckled. “You know us too well. We’re coming and no, not that way. We had our naked fun time earlier, thank you.” I smacked my husband again, glaring at him. “Yes, Bella just smacked me. Hold on …” Edward looked at me, smiling crookedly. “Kellan says, ‘Don’t damage the guitar player’.”

“I’ll damage you alright if you continue spilling the beans about our healthy sex life to Kellan,” I growled.

“Yes, dear,” Edward snickered. I pinched his nipple, causing him to screech. “I’m being abused, Kellan. Okay, okay. It’s all my fault. You just like Bella more than me.”

“You’re damn right, I do,” Kellan said, his voice tinny through the speakers of the cell phone. “Now, get your nymphomaniac asses down here. NOW!!!”

Edward cringed, hanging up the phone. “I think we should go,” he snickered.

“You’re an ass,” I giggled, picking up my bag with a change of clothes, some makeup and shower supplies.

“I’m your ass,” he crooned.

“Unfortunately,” I sighed dramatically. Edward wrapped his arms around me, kissing my neck and tickling my sides. I squealed, laughing as Edward continued his tickle attack. “Stop! I’m going to pee!”

“What’s the magic word?” he asked.

“Now!” I snickered, dancing out of his arms and holding out my arms. “Behave, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Don’t make me kick your ass.” He just laughed, lifting me up and tossing me over his shoulder. I giggled, trying to free myself, but he was too strong. He carried me up into the tour bus, tossing me onto one of the leather couches. He sat down next to me, grinning like a buffoon. “I hope you like the couch, Edward.”

“Come on, _cantante_ , I was just playing,” he purred, kissing my neck.

“Don’t kiss her lips, Edward! She’s not wearing the lip stain. I had to get some that matched your outfit,” Alice growled. She tossed a tube of lip stain to me. It was a deep red. “Put it on at the venue.”

“Got it,” I said.

Edward spent the fifteen-minute drive to the TD Center, trying to cajole me. I ignored him, but I knew he was playing. Arriving at the TD Center, everyone got off except for Edward and me. Even the bus driver got off. I got up, straddling Edward’s lap. “You are in so much trouble, Mr. Cullen.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Cullen,” he cooed, his hands resting on my ass. He was smirking crookedly.

“You’ll have to make it up to me,” I said, leaning forward and moving as close as humanly possible to him.

“What’s that?” he breathed, rocking my hips over his.

“Love me,” I whispered, kissing his nose.

“Always,” he purred, consuming my mouth with his.

There was a loud bang on the door and Kellan glared at us through the window. Edward flipped him off, but we got out of the bus and went to our dressing rooms. A half hour later, we did our sound check after The Cliffhangers did theirs. We also met up with Evan and Walter, along with their invited guests: Pam, Evan’s mom and Paige, Evan’s older sister. We took pictures with them, giving them a backstage glimpse of what goes on during a concert like ours. Evan was quiet, but when he ‘spoke,’ he usually talked to Edward. My husband was holding Evan’s hand, listening intently to everything that Evan said.

Our time with Evan was cut short when the doors of the venue opened up. Evan gave Edward the hugest hug, slapping a high five to Emmett and Jasper. When he got to me, he hugged my legs, looking up at me with these blue eyes, singing something that I’d never heard before. “Forever and always, yours and mine. I’ll be with you, until the end of time,” Evan cooed. Darting back to his parent’s they left the stage, fawning over Evan.

“Did you hear what Evan sang to me?” I asked Edward as we wandered underneath the stage to the green room.

“Not really. He was really quiet,” Edward replied. “Was it one of our songs?”

“No,” I breathed. “It was something amazing.” I tucked Evan’s simple melody and heartfelt rhyme in the back of my head, thinking that I could write a song for my husband. I’d credit Evan, sending him a copy of the music.

As the stadium filled up, we hung out with The Cliffhangers. It was nice to see all of them. We hadn’t really talked to them since they got in just prior to performing in New York. When we were traveling to Boston, they were finalizing their housing needs with Jared and the Twilight execs and met up with us this afternoon.

Shortly before seven, The Cliffhangers went up to the stage. We heard them begin their forty-minute set, which went by in a flash. Lou, the stage manager, called us up to the stage. Our ear protection was put on and instruments were handed to Edward and Jasper. As The Cliffhangers left, we huddled and said our prayers. The lights dimmed and the instrumental music from the B-side of _Midnight Sun_ began playing. While the introduction spun and twisted, we clambered onto the stage. The stage hands plugged Edward and Jasper into their amplifiers and I picked up my microphone.

Through our ear protection, Lou gave us a count off before Edward, Jasper and Emmett began playing along with the recording. They didn’t need it, but it was definitely a safety net. “La Cantante” began, making butterflies attack my stomach. The lights went up and I smiled, holding up the microphone. With a grin, I began singing and the butterflies went away, replaced with confidence and strength from my family, my friends and most importantly, my husband.

**A/N: Third performance down! WOO HOO! Things are going okay. Some minor drama with the security guys and Bella’s fear, but that was easily solved. And what do you think about Edward and Evan. Totally cute, huh? I had a student who was autistic and music was the only thing that got him out of his shell. I had to put it in there.**

**Pictures for this chapter are on my blog. You can find a link to that on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.**

**Now, will I be _this_ detailed for every city we go to? No. My goal, hopefully, is to get through a couple of cities per chapter. Up next will be Portland, Maine, New Brunswick and Montreal. Leave me some loving! **


	7. Canada, Eh?

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Now, will I be _this_ detailed for every city we go to? No. My goal, hopefully, is to get through a couple of cities per chapter. Up next will be Portland, Maine, New Brunswick and Montreal. **

**Chapter Seven: Canada, Eh?**

**EPOV**

Bella was working on her computer as we drove to Portland, Maine. Her brow was furrowed and she was focused on whatever she was attending to. When I tried to ask what she was doing, she’d smile sweetly and say nothing. It didn’t look like nothing.

“Come on, _cantante_ ,” I wheedled. “Tell me!”

“It’s honestly nothing. I’m emailing my dad about the first few shows and I’m reading some more reviews,” she smirked.

“You’re so lying, Isabella Marie Swan Cullen,” I grumbled.

“I’m not. Look, I’m almost done. Then, we can work on _High Life,_ ” she bargained. “I know that you’ve worked on it some.”

“Okay,” I said, taking out my own laptop. When I opened it up, I saw that I had a few new emails. The first one was from Garrett Sisko, my mentor and close friend. He was telling me about his wife and their five-year-old girl, sharing some adorable pictures. He also told me about Mrs. Cope, the lady who worked in the front office and was in love with me, in grandmotherly sort of way. She had had a massive heart attack at school, passing away despite the best efforts of the paramedics and doctors. I frowned when I read that, looking up the information about her wake and funeral. I obviously couldn’t go to the services, but I did send a huge floral arrangement from Bella and me. I also made a donation, in her name, for the American Heart Association, as requested by the family.

I was incredibly sad to read about Mrs. Cope’s death. I always thought that she’d always be there, greeting everyone with a warm smile and a kind word. I blew out a breath, trying not to cry.

Shaking my head, I clicked on the other email I’d received. It was from my adoptive parents, Carlisle and Esme.

When my mother died of ovarian cancer, my father was in no shape to care for me. In fact, it was Esme who saved me from his drunken binges and anger. Within a week of her taking me from his house, he had relinquished his parental rights and we moved to New York state. I struggled for a long time with who I was. I missed my mother terribly and wanted her back. I felt guilty for even thinking of loving anyone in place of her. The only person who I trusted in my new life was my adoptive sister, Alice. My heart stayed empty until I met my wife. Yes, I grew to love Carlisle and Esme, eventually calling them ‘Mom and Dad,’ but they weren’t my _real_ parents.

With Bella, I finally felt the love I was missing since my mother passed away. She was my one, my true love, my soul mate, _il mio cantante_. The fact that she knew what that meant, solidified that Bella was destined to be with me. With her love and support, I managed to switch majors and become a musician, something that I’d dreamed of since I was a child. My fractured relationship with my father, my birth father, Edward Masen Senior, had slowly begun to heal. Now, Senior, as he preferred to be called, is more like another friend/lawyer. When Jenks, my usual attorney is unavailable to look at something, Senior will and give me the father/son discount – _free_! That also applied to any members of the band, Alice, Kellan and Nia.

“I’m done, baby,” Bella said, sitting down next to me. “Oh, an email from your parents. How are they doing?”

“I don’t know, but I haven’t read it,” I replied. “But, before I do, I want to let you know that Mrs. Cope had a massive heart attack.”

“Mrs. Cope? The office lady from your high school?” Bella frowned.

I nodded. “Garrett emailed me and told me that she had passed. We’re obviously going to miss the wake and funeral. We’ll be in Canada. However, I did send a beautiful floral arrangement from the two of us and donated to the American Heart Association in her name from the band.”

“There’s no way for us to go to the services?” Bella whispered.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I soothed, kissing her forehead. “Now, let’s read what Carlisle and Esme have to say.” I clicked on the email. The first few paragraphs were praising our opening of the tour. Esme was gushing over how proud she was of our accomplishments. Carlisle stepped in, like a doctor, reminding us to take care of ourselves and to get enough sleep and exercise. They also asked if we were going to be performing close to them. We hadn’t seen them since Christmas/New Year’s. Bella responded, saying that we were performing in Albany on June 8th. We could spend the day with them on June 7th, maybe even spending a night in New York house.

Sleeping hotels all of the time, it kind of sucks.

After we finished responding to my adoptive parents, I spent the rest of the drive working on the _High Life_ movie score. Bella, however, spent most of the time sleeping with her head on my shoulder. She had a hard time sleeping in Boston after our show at the TD Center. She was tired, but her body ached along with her head. Finally relenting around four, she took a few of her prescription medication for migraines. She was groggy when we woke up, perking up once she had some coffee and when she was focused on whatever she was working on her computer. But, not being actively engaged, my beautiful wife was snoring quietly and snuggled close to me.

Arriving at Portland, Maine, the buses went directly to the hotel we had reserved for our stay, the Portland Harbor Hotel. Bella and I were in the Honeymoon Suite, while Nia and Jasper had the Jacuzzi Suite. Emmett and Kellan would share a room and Alice had her own space. I picked up my wife as she snoozed on the tour bus, carrying her into the hotel. She barely even stirred as we rode up the elevator, snuggling closer to me. Laying her on the bed, I kissed her lips before going back to the lobby to get our luggage.

“Edward, come with us to the bar,” Jasper said.

“Is that wise with a recovering addict?” I smirked, casting a glance at my brother-in-law.

“I’m not drinking,” Emmett said, holding up his hands. “The girl at the desk said that they have the best fish and chips. I really want that, but I don’t want to deal with crazy fans.”

“Let me bring the bags up, leaving Bella a note and then I’ll meet you down here,” I said, nodding to the bar. They fist bumped each other, striding into the bar inside of the hotel. I went upstairs, putting the bags in the suite. I wrote a quick note to my slumbering, snoring wife, that I was going to be at the bar. I folded it, leaving it next to her on the nightstand. I rode back down, meeting Jasper, Emmett and Kellan in the bar. I already had a beer at my seat. “Hmmm, this is good.”

“It’s some local IPA. The bartender highly recommended it,” Jasper smiled, slurping down some from his own pint. “Is Bella still asleep?”

“She got a nasty headache last night and didn’t take her medication until four,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “She was fine when she was doing something, but she drifted off, obviously, during the bus ride.”

“That’s a shame. I was hoping to get all of your opinions on the choices that Jared came up with for the instrumental album he proposed,” Kellan said, taking out his iPad.

“You can share with us, but I’ll let Bella know,” I said.

“Well, the working title is _After Dark_ ,” Kellan said, handing me his tablet. I looked at the songs, or rather the various combination of songs that Jared had come up with. “Anything that you absolutely hate?”

“I don’t really care for ‘Sunset Tears.’ It’s not one of our best pieces. Too melancholy and no dynamic contrast,” I muttered.

“I agree,” Jasper said. “I know that it was written by one of your best composers, but it just doesn’t sound good on us. Too emo.”

“And the range, for me, was too high. Sebastian was adamant we perform it in a key that kills my voice, Kellan,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “He didn’t want Bella singing it and I personally don’t want vocal nodes or lose my voice, permanently.”

“Okay, no ‘Sunset Tears.’ I’ll let Jared know that you are not a fan of the song and to possibly pawn it off another Twilight artist,” Kellan said, making notes on his tablet.

“Why not give it to Santorelli?” Emmett asked, running his fingers along his glass. “That song is right up his alley.”

“Good point,” Kellan laughed.

A waiter come up, taking our orders. Emmett got his order of fish and chips. I got a bowl of New England clam chowder with a huge piece of bread, as did Kellan. Jasper ordered a bacon cheeseburger since he hated all things seafood.

“Have we heard anything else from that psycho stalker?” Emmett questioned. “We got these awesome security people, but they seem to be kind of arbitrary.”

“Big word, Em,” Jasper teased, tossing a fry at him. Emmett scowled, throwing the same fry back.

“Did you forget how terrified your sister was?” I growled, glaring at Emmett. “That person is out to get us, Em. The security is a necessity for my wife’s state of mind, and mine. In case you forgot, I got a letter, too! This stalker threatened our lives.”

“I was toying with getting extra security in the first place. With all of the hype from your Grammy wins, you’re more recognizable. I don’t want to random loony tune to come up and physically accost you or for another John Lennon shooting to happen,” Kellan explained. John Lennon, one of the most iconic singer/songwriters was shot in 1980 by a crazed fan. The mere idea of that happening to me or Bella made me sick to my stomach. Kellan was right. We needed this security.

“The letters just forced my hand. I’m glad we have them. They’re sweeping Cross Insurance Arena as we speak, working with the in-house security company. Ryan is here in the hotel, performing his sweeps as well,” Kellan said reassuringly.

“Who is out with Nia and Alice?” Jasper asked, popping a fry.

“No one,” Kellan said, making a face. “They weren’t mentioned in the letters. Pandora Security is only responsible for the band, not anyone else. If I went out, I wouldn’t have anyone with me, either.”

“Nia and Alice are not as familiar,” I said. “People may recognize them, but I don’t think that they would be harmed.”

“Still, I’d rather have someone with them if they do go out,” Jasper grumbled. “I love your sister, Kellan, and I would seriously lose my shit if something happened to her. Or Alice. I still have feelings for her, too.”

“The next time they go off, I’ll make sure one of the security team goes with them,” Kellan said, his ears turning pink and twisting his hunk of bread.

“Why are you blushing, Kellan?” Emmett teased, arching a brow.

“It’s nothing,” Kellan snapped. Then, he scrubbed his face. “Fuck.”

“Kellan, I love you like a brother. We are not fucking,” I snickered.

“You’re the wrong Cullen,” Kellan said, chuckling nervously.

“What?” I asked, my voice calm and contained, but I was anything but. I waited for him to answer, glaring at Kellan.

“Okay, okay. I’ve been working closely with Alice to complete this tour. She’s been invaluable in planning things, coordinating events, organizing hair and makeup and setting up accommodations. We’ve always been friends, but since we’ve spent countless hours together, I’ve started to develop feelings for her,” Kellan trailed off into a whisper. “Don’t kill me.”

I blinked a few times, staring at our manager. He was nervously nibbling on his nails. I called over the server. “I need a shot of tequila. Make it a double,” I snarled. He quickly got me my drink and I downed it, feeling the burn of the alcohol. I turned back to Kellan. “You have feelings for my sister.”

“Dude, you’re so going to get your ass kicked,” Jasper laughed.

“Shut up,” Kellan hissed. “Be grateful that I don’t remove your nuts each time I hear my sister moan your name. That’s disgusting. In my mind, my little sister is still a fucking virgin.”

“This is sooooo déjà vu,” Emmett laughed. “Remember, Edward? When I gave you shit about dating Isabelly?”

“She would kick your ass if she heard you calling her Isabelly again,” I deadpanned. “And have I ever treated her wrong?”

“No. You’re a god damned angel,” Emmett said.

I rolled my eyes, turning back to Kellan, who was glowering at Jasper. “Okay, enough. Our little group is freakishly incestuous.”

“Incest is not best,” Jasper chuckled.

“Think about it. I’m married to Emmett’s sister. Jasper dated my sister; they broke up and now he’s dating Kellan’s sister. Which brings us to Kellan, who wants to bone Alice, my sister,” I said. “This is fucked up.”

“I don’t want to bone Alice,” Kellan clarified. We all gave him a look, clearly indicating that we didn’t buy his shit. “Okay, okay, I do want to make love to her, but I have feelings for her. _Real_ feelings, deep down in the gut. However, my last relationship turned me upside down and inside out. I’m so hesitant to get back into the dating game. Besides, I don’t want to lose Alice as a friend. You know?”

I pinched my nose, looking over at our manager and long-time friend. He was tearing his bread into little tiny pieces, looking like someone kicked his puppy. “Kellan, whatever you do, don’t hurt Alice. You know her story …” I trailed off.

“I couldn’t hurt her if I tried,” Kellan breathed. “You’re not going to kill me?”

“I’d only kill you if you hurt my sister,” I said, smacking Kellan’s shoulder. “Bella’s dad is a police chief. He can get rid of a body and make everything look legal. Don’t. Make. Me. Call. Him.”

“Remind me to _never_ get on your bad side,” Kellan laughed nervously. He pushed his bowl away. “I’m going to check on the stage and with Lou. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Do you think you’re going to go out at any point?”

“Probably not. I know that I’m feeling my throat burn from performing the last week,” I said. “I shouldn’t have had this beer. Water or tea would have been a better choice.”

“I may go out. I don’t know,” Jasper shrugged. “Em? We could do something?”

“Maybe,” Emmett said, finishing his beer.

Kellan said his goodbyes, tossing some cash onto the table for his meal. He spoke with the concierge, asking for a cab and he left while the rest of us finished our meals. After we paid, I went upstairs to check on my wife. She was still sleeping. I threw out the original note and left her another one, saying that I was going to work out in the gym.

I spent an hour downstairs, running on the treadmill and working my upper body, using the exercises my trainer gave me to do. I worked up a good sweat, feeling human and not like a slug. Sitting all day on the bus was stifling. I knew it was a necessary evil of touring, but I hated sitting still for that long. Running my towel through my hair, I left the gym, running into a petite woman. “Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention,” I said.

“No, it was totally my fault,” she said, looking up at me. “Holy shit! You’re Edward Cullen! From Breaking Midnight!”

“Yes,” I said, smiling stiffly.

“Can I get a picture with you?” she pleaded, taking out her phone.

 _Ugh, I’m sweaty, gross and nasty. No!_ “Okay,” I replied. She held her phone out, taking the selfie of the two of us. I smiled, leaning in, but keeping my distance because I was so foul. She bounced on her toes, hugging me before walking into the gym. She was on her phone in a nanosecond. I turned on my heel, sprinting up to my room. I did not want this fan to find me. I closed the door, leaning against it and blowing out a breath. “That was close,” I breathed.

“What was close?” Bella asked sleepily. Her glasses were on and she was sitting on the bed, looking at the menu.

“I ran into someone in the gym and she turned out to be a fan. I looked like this. I’m disgusting,” I groaned.

“I beg to differ. I like you all hot and sweaty,” Bella giggled. “My own personal tattooed beefcake.” She yawned and looked back down at the menu. “Have you eaten?”

“I had some clam chowder and that filled me up. The bowl was freaking huge!” I chuckled.

“That sounds good, but I don’t want the dairy,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Is your throat hurting?”

“A little. I’m going to try and not talk the rest of the night and all day tomorrow,” I replied. I pointed to the shower. Bella nodded, picking up the phone. I stripped out of my workout clothes and tossed them into our ‘laundry suitcase.’ Every couple of days, we’d hand off the laundry suitcase to Alice. She’d make arrangements for our clothes to be laundered. Not by her, though. Alice hates all domestic activities. Usually, she used the hotel’s laundry surface. For our costumes, those were dry cleaned by the staff Alice hired to maintain our clothes.

Naked as the day I was born, I grabbed a pair of boxer briefs and slipped into the bathroom. I turned on the shower and went to the bathroom. Once I flushed the toilet, the door opened and my wife joined me, her eyes swirling with desire and need.

There was not a lot of washing in that shower. Let me tell you. She just needed to reclaim what was hers.

Who am I to deny my sexy, seductive wife?

xx LMDC xx

Bella, Jasper and I were off stage, getting a drink of water as some music and videos were being shown on the LED screens. Emmett stayed on his perch since he didn’t feel comfortable leaving in the dark. One of the stage hands was bringing him some Gatorade. “Is it me, or is this crowd dead?” Jasper asked as he put on a fresh shirt. “I feel zero energy from them. You know?”

“It is kind of ‘meh’ out there,” Bella replied, her nose wrinkled.

“Stop making faces. I’m trying to touch you up,” Alice hissed.

“Sorry,” she chuckled as she sipped some water out of a straw. “What can we do to get them to wake up?”

“I think we need to switch things up a bit. Lou, we’re going to do our act IV set first and then come back to act III,” I said to our stage manager. “Let Emmett know.”

“Will do, Edward,” Lou nodded, pressing a button on his walkie. “I’ll also let the light guys know, too.” He went off, seemingly to deal with our last minute change. The music in the fourth act was faster, more exciting. The third act was sappy and mellow. “We’re good to go, Edward. You guys almost ready?”

“Yeah,” we all replied.

“Though, I want kick Alice’s ass for putting me in this awful shoes,” Bella grumbled. “I’m this close to tossing them out into the audience, Ali.”

“Beauty is pain, Isabella,” Alice smirked. Bella flipped Alice off before I dragged her on the stage. Without a hitch, the videos were from our fourth act and we hyped up the audience, keeping them engaged for the rest of the concert. Bella did remove her shoes and tossed them into the audience, earning a rousing set of cheers. My wife performed the rest of the show barefoot and happy.

After our encore, we got off stage and guzzled down water or Gatorade. Cross Insurance Arena had been very warm. For the audience, it was more than likely cool, but we were sweltering on stage. Jasper went through four shirts, which was unheard of from him. He was from Texas and he loved the heat.

Thankfully, we didn’t have any meet and greets before or after this show. We could pack up, head to the hotel and crash before we drove to Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Walking to our dressing room, there was a huge bouquet of lavender on Bella’s dressing table. It was a gorgeous arrangement, permeating the room with the sweet scent of lavender with a touch of vanilla. “Who sent me flowers? Edward? Did you?” she asked, walking over to the bouquet. She searched for the card.

“I didn’t order you flowers. And if I did, I wouldn’t have gotten you lavender. I’m partial to roses,” I said, walking behind her.

“Well, I can tell you this much. Neither one of us smell like roses or lavender. We smell like something that came out of Emmett’s ass,” Bella deadpanned. “Got it!” She plucked out the card, seeing that it was addressed to both of us. “Weird.”

“Open it,” I said, wrapping my arms around her tiny waist. She did, pulling out a simple white card. Flipping it open, it only said one word.

_Distrust._

“Oh, God,” Bella whispered, dropping the card like it was on fire. “This is from the whoever sent those letters.”

“How did it get here?” I asked, pulling her behind me. “Backstage is off limits to anyone without the appropriate credentials.” I dragged my wife out of the room. She was shaking uncontrollably. I immediately found Kellan. “We had a delivery.”

“What?!” he sneered. “Where?”

“Dressing room,” I said, enfolding my now crying wife into my arms. “It’s okay, baby.”

“How did they get backstage?” she whimpered.

“I don’t know. We’ll find out. We can have Pandora pull the security tapes,” I said calmly, kissing Bella’s forehead. Jasper heard the commotion in the hallway and let us into his dressing room. Nia grabbed our bags with our clothes from our room while Kellan screamed on the phone.

After an hour, we found out who it was who delivered the flowers. It was one of the crew members. I didn’t know his name. Kellan pulled the crew member into Jasper’s dressing room, glowering a him. “Why did you deliver flowers to Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?” Kellan snapped. The crew member blinked, quaking in his boots. “Answer me, god damn it!”

“A local floral shop drove up with the delivery. It was a sweet little old lady,” he described. “However, she was pissed because it was past closing time when the order came in and whoever ordered them insisted that they delivered tonight. Anyway, she handed me the flowers and left. I just put them into Mr. and Mrs. Cullen’s dressing room.”

“What’s the name of the floral shop?” Ryan, the head of the security detail, asked.

“It started with an ‘m,’” the crew member mumbled. “I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?”

“Not intentionally,” I piped up. “He’s innocent, Kellan. He was doing what he was supposed to do.”

“Damn. I really wanted to fire someone today,” Kellan grumped. “You’re on probation, Austin. I’ll talk to Lou and have you reassigned. You’re no longer on stage crew. I don’t trust you to deliver another package. Next time, it might be a fucking bomb.”

“Yes, Mr. Moore,” Austin said dejectedly.

“Now, go finish helping out dismantling the stage,” Kellan said, his face red with anger. He turned to Ryan. “We need to find that florist’s shop.”

“Already did,” Ryan replied. “Minott’s Flowers on Free Street. Early tomorrow, I’m going to ask about the person who sent the flowers. I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. We will try to ensure that this will not happen again. What do you want us to do with the flowers?”

“Throw the flowers out,” Bella sniffled, her fingers gripping my shirt, almost tearing the seams.

“Understood,” Ryan said, leaving the room.

“Let’s get you guys back to the hotel,” Kellan said. “The bus is just outside.”

I nodded, picking up my shaken wife. She gripped me so tightly, sobbing quietly against my shoulder as I worked through the maze underneath the Cross Insurance Arena. The rest of our crew was already on the bus. A few moments later, we were on our way back to the hotel. I still carried Bella up to our room. Once I put her feet on the ground, she woodenly walked to her suitcase. “I’m going to shower,” she said. “Then, crash.”

“I can imagine, beautiful,” I whispered. “Do you need anything?”

She shook her head, going inside the bathroom. I sat down heavily as the door closed, tugging on my sweat-soaked hair. “This sucks,” I whispered to myself. “Flowers? What the hell?”

I couldn’t think too long about the motives of our stalker. There was a quiet knock on the door. Opening it up, I saw Kellan on the other side. “What’s up?” I asked.

“We’re delaying our departure so you guys can get some sleep,” Kellan said.

“And to find out more information from that florist, right?” I asked.

“That too,” he chuckled. “We’ll be ready to go around one. You guys have your passports?”

“In our locked box in our luggage,” I answered.

“Good, good,” Kellan responded. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. Ryan assured me that they will find out the identity of the person who ordered those flowers.”

“What if it’s like what they did with Austin? They used a decoy to order them,” I shrugged.

“I don’t know. Give Bella my love,” Kellan said as he shook my hand, clapping me on the shoulder. “And lock your doors.”

“Got it, boss,” I said. He nodded, leaving the suite. I shut and double locked the doors. I could hear Bella crying in the shower. I knocked on the door. “Bella?”

“I’m fine, Edward. I just need a few moments,” she said brokenly.

“If you need me, baby. I’m here,” I said. I decided to make some coffee since I knew that I wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. Brewing a large mug of joe, I downed it quickly, feeling the caffeine make its way through my veins. It tasted like swill, but if I could chase my wife’s nightmares away, I would. About twenty minutes later, Bella came out. Her posture was hunched and her eyes were hollow and empty. Her hair was damp, but not wet. “Why don’t you order some room service?”

“I’m not hungry,” she said.

“Bella, you didn’t really eat dinner because you were getting beautified. Raid the mini-bar,” I suggested. “They have a lot of chocolate.”

She nodded, walking to the small kitchenette. I dumped my clothes into the laundry suitcase, which was nearly full and quickly hosed off in the shower, scrubbing away the grime and sweat of performing. When I was done, Bella was in the bed, curled away from me. I noticed a partially opened Toblerone. I was happy that she did eat something. Crawling into bed, I wrapped my body around her. “You’re safe, beautiful, _il mio cantante_. I promise to keep you safe. _Tu sei la mia vita ora e sempre sarà._ ” She sighed, turning in my arms and snuggling as close to me as possible. But, I knew it was the calm before the storm.

xx LMDC xx

Just as I had predicted, Bella’s nightmares were awful. I barely got any sleep. When she woke up, around ten, she saw the dark circles under my eyes and began blubbering how sorry she was. I just took her in my arms, telling her it was okay. I did encourage her to take a nap since it was still early. I set my alarm for noon. That’s when I got the most sleep.

Around one, we got onto our tour bus, our passports in hand since we were crossing the border into Canada. Kellan was on the bus, along with Ryan and Ainsley, the female security guard. We settled into our seats and took off toward Fredericton. “Do you have news?” Bella asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” Ainsley said. “Ryan and I went to Minott’s and the woman said that it was a young man who bought the flowers. He paid in cash, no surprise, but he did seem indifferent toward the whole transaction. I asked if she had security cameras and she said that the one over the cash register stopped working six years ago. Either this young man, who she described as medium build, kind of short and nondescript, is your stalker or he was working for the stalker.”

“The one thing that was weird was the fact that he gave the florist the envelope addressed to you, not using one of the premade cards. She asked if he wanted something bigger and he said that this note had to be on it,” Ryan added. “We took the note to the police to have it fingerprinted. The florist’s, Madge, Bella’s and an unknown print are the only ones on there. We’re assuming the unknown print is from the guy who brought the card. And whoever he is, isn’t in the system.”

“No other prints?” I asked.

“Nope,” Ainsley sighed. “Whoever wrote that note, used gloves.”

“Shit,” I growled. “No new clues.”

“We’ll get them,” Ryan vowed.

“I hope so. This is making me sick with worry,” Bella whispered.

“Why don’t you two go back into the suite of the bus, hmmm?” Kellan suggested. “You both look like you got next to no sleep.”

I nodded, dragging Bella back to the suite that held a queen-sized bed. Kicking off our shoes, we cuddled together. “Are you okay, _cantante?_ ”

“Not really, but I’ll get over it, I guess,” she shrugged, putting her head on my shoulder. “I just hoped that this would all come to an end now. You know?”

“Wishful thinking, right?” I said. She nodded and then yawned.

“I’m so tired. My sleep was not restful and I know my nightmares kept you up.”

“Let’s just sleep until we get to the border. It’s not long to Fredericton after that,” I said.

We took a four-hour-long nap, waking up when Kellan told us we were about ten minutes away from the border. We’d have another hour or so until we arrived at St. John, just outside of Fredericton. We were staying at a chalet called Kingsbrae Arms. Both Breaking Midnight and The Cliffhangers, along with Kellan, Nia, Alice and the Pandora Security team were staying there. The stage crew were staying in a hotel closer to the Aitken University Centre.

Getting through the border crossing was simple. We flashed our passports, had them stamped and drove the rest of the way to our hotel. We got there, wanting to just crash in our respective rooms but the place was similar to a bed and breakfast. Only, it wasn’t just breakfast. The owner had prepared a five-course meal for us for dinner. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolutely delicious, but I still wanted to curl up in the huge, fluffy bed upstairs.

We all fell into a food coma, barely waking up for the morning show that we had to call. Bella and I were barely coherent as we answered questions about the tour, our grammy wins and upcoming events. We also played a game with a caller, seeing who could correctly guess the lyrics to various songs. Bella kicked ass, winning it for us. The caller did get a pair of passes to our concert anyway for participating. We went back to sleep before getting ready for the concert.

Honestly, this performance was a blur. I could barely maintain my focus on the audience. Yes, I did everything like normal, but there was just no energy. The idea that we had a stalker following us scared the shit out of me. Regardless of our performance, the crowd still cheered, wanting more.

Thankfully, there were no random deliveries of flowers or letters. Bella relaxed, grateful for that. When we went back to the Kingsbrae Arms, she crashed and slept through the night. So did I.

The drive to Montreal was a long one – over eight hours - so we left early the following day. But since we were spending all day in the bus, we would have a free day in Montreal. Alice and Nia were determined to get Bella out of her funk. So, they decided to take her shopping. My wife looked at me with dread, but I waved at her as she was dragged away. Ainsley was going with them.

Jasper and Emmett wanted to go to the casino in Montreal. I was not a gambler, but I went with them. They immediately went to a blackjack table. I joined them, playing the game, but not really caring if I won or lost. Once my money in my wallet was gone, I’d probably wander around the casino. However, I started a huge win streak, almost tripling my initial payment. I colored out once I hit almost $10,000. I took the money and told Jasper and Emmett that I was going to buy Bella something sparkly.

Wandering around the shops, I stopped at a jewelry store. Max was behind me, pretending to search for something as well. It was a high-end store and had a lot of beautiful items. However, I wanted something for Bella to wear on her right hand. She had her wedding band on her left. Her engagement ring was locked in our safe in California. She had mentioned that she liked the look of chunkier jewelry. She had long fingers and could pull of a larger ring. That’s why I upgraded her wedding band from the slender eternity band I’d originally given her. We kept it, of course, saving it for our children, when we had them.

“Can I help you?” asked an older gentleman. He was about Carlisle’s age, with wire-rimmed glasses and a friendly smile.

“Yeah. I just came from the casino. I won a good chunk of money and I want to buy something to spoil my wife,” I chuckled. “I’m thinking a right-hand ring, something big enough to fit around her middle finger and very, very sparkly.”

“Diamonds are your best bet,” he chuckled. “I’m Niel. What’s your name?”

“Edward,” I answered simply, grateful he didn’t recognize me. “Nice to meet you, Niel.” We shook hands and he led me to a display with hefty rings, all gorgeous and capturing the light brilliantly. 

“Now, do you want filigree, swirls?” Niel asked. “Simple,” I said, showing him my elegant, but simple wedding band. “I think this might be what you’re looking for,” Niel said, pulling out a decent-sized band, but it wasn’t big enough. I inspected it, wrinkling my nose.  “Not as chunky?”

“The one to the right of it seems more what I’m looking for,” I said, pointing to the ring I liked. 

“This is quite pricey. It’s well over three carats of diamonds, set in platinum,” Niel chuckled. “$9,400, not including sales tax.”

“What size is it?” I asked. He took out some long stick contraption, sliding the ring on it. 

“Size seven, the standard size for most women’s rings,” he answered. “It can be sized bigger or smaller. It’s not an eternity band.”

“I think seven will fit her middle finger,” I said, taking the ring back from him. “But, do you have an eternity version?”

“In the vault,” Niel gasped. 

“In size seven, set in platinum,” I smirked. 

He nodded and took the ring from me, darting off. He came back a few moments later with the same ring, but with my specifications. “This is significantly more expensive. It’s 6.7 carats of diamonds in a platinum setting. Around $16,000.”

“I’ll take it,” I said. 

“Would you like to open a credit card?” he asked.

“Nope. I’ll for part of it in cash from my winnings and the rest on my charge,” I smiled crookedly, taking out my black AMEX. It was when he read my full name that he blinked, his jaw dropping.

“You’re from that band, Breaking Midnight,” he breathed. “My granddaughter adores you guys. She thinks that you and your wife are so sweet.”

“Once I’m done, we can take a picture and I can autograph something for your granddaughter,” I beamed. “Give her proof that you met me.”

Niel nodded dumbly, running to ring up my order. I found a nearby sales person, who was more than willing to take a picture for me. I sighed an autograph for her as well, enjoying a selfie that she immediately posted on Instagram. Niel came back with a bag filled with tissue paper. “I included some jewelry cleaner and a card with jewelers who will buff and polish the ring, as well as inspect it, in the states. Our sister shops, if you will.” I took the bag, signing the credit slip and smiled graciously for the picture with Niel. I also signed one of the various stuffed animals that sat around the store, paying of it so he could give it to his granddaughter. With another handshake I left, but my phone was ringing in my pocket. 

“Yes?” I sang. 

“I lost Emmett,” Jasper grumbled. “I had to take a leak and call Nia, see how she was doing. I was gone for no more than five minutes and he’s gone. Not picking up his phone or anything.”

“Fuck,” I groaned. “Where are you? Did he have anything to drink?” 

“Next to the table we were sitting at for blackjack,” Jasper said. “And I don’t think so. He was drinking soda as far as I knew.”

“I’ll be right there,” I said. I turned on the ‘Find My iPhone’ app and plugged in Emmett’s information. He was at least still in the casino, but where was not going to be easy to find. I found Jasper, standing next to the blackjack table, talking to Kellan on his cell phone. “Have you heard from him?” I asked.

“Nope. I called in Kellan to help. He’s on his way. He was at the Bell Centre,” Jasper said. 

“Where could he have gone?” I hissed. 

“He was acting all flirty with a blonde at the table,” Jasper sighed. “But, I think it was just talk. You know?”

“Are you certain that Emmett was not drinking?” I pushed.

“I don’t know,” Jasper huffed, frustrated with the situation. He turned, pointing toward the entrance. “There’s Kellan. He got here fast.”

“He knows that he’s Emmett’s keeper,” I chuckled. We met up with our manager and told him what was going on. We decided to divide and conquer. Jasper and I were to search the casino while Kellan was going to finagle information out of the concierge. We walked around the massive casino floor, checking every slot machine, table game and bar for Emmett. We were reaching the sports book when Kellan sent us a text. 

_Found him. Ride up the elevators to the fourth floor – K_

I showed Jasper the text and he snarled. We ran to the bank of elevators, riding up to the desired floor. Kellan was at the end of the hallway with some of the hotel security. Once we got to the door, we could the sound of both of them and it was quite pornographic. 

“He just doesn’t learn,” Jasper whispered, shame coloring his tone. 

“I think he’s drunk,” I said. 

“We’ll find out,” Kellan snapped. “Go ahead.”

The hotel security knocked on the door and there was no response. They knocked again, announcing themselves and again, no response. With a shrug, they opened the door, using a key and we found the same blonde that Jasper described with her mouth around Emmett’s dick. She was naked and from what we could tell, high. Her eyes were glazed over. Emmett wasn’t high, but he was drunk. His face was flushed and he had a goofy grin. The security guards dragged the girl away. “You’ve been warned numerous times. Prostitution is not allowed in the hotel,” said the security commander.

“I’m not a prostitute,” she slurred. “He was going to pay me for the blowjob!”

The commander tossed the clothes at her. “Get dressed and get out!” he yelled. She scoffed, walking out of the room and tugging on the skimpy dress as she did. 

“I need my money,” she screamed. “He promised me $200!”

“Too bad,” the commander said. One of the security guards went with her, grabbing her elbow and encouraging her out of the hotel. “I’ll speak with the manager and have her banned from coming in. Do you need help with him?”

“We got it,” Kellan said, his ire barely contained. “But, can you arrange for a limo, or some private company to drive us to the Ritz Carlton? It’s where we’re staying.”

“Of course. You can used one of our limos,” the commander replied. “I’ll make the arrangements.”

“And not a word to anyone. If this comes out, I’ll have all of your asses,” Kellan warned. “Including the prostitute.”

“The discretion of our guests and what they due is of utmost importance. In regard to the whore, we’ll make sure she doesn’t say a word,” the commander said, giving us an evil grin. 

They left us to deal with a very drunk and extremely angry Emmett. Kellan dealt with the worst of it. He got shoved, pushed and hit. His nose was bleeding and Jasper and I took over. Emmett tried to hit me, but I caught his hand, spinning him so he was face down on the mattress. “Stop fighting us, Emmett. You’re in enough trouble. I’m certain that you don’t want to be arrested, hmmm?”

“No,” he said. “Stop it. You’re hurting my arm.”

I pushed his arm further up, causing him to yelp. “Good. You deserve it,” I snarled, releasing him. He pushed off the bed, his head hung low and shoulders slumped. I dragged him out of the hotel room while Jasper helped Kellan with his bloody nose. We went down to the lobby and the commander led us to a waiting limo. Jasper handed him a huge tip of two hundred dollars before he climbed in with our security team. I told the driver where to go and we were off to the Ritz Carlton, arriving at the side entrance. I paid the tip for the limo and we went inside.

“Band meeting in my suite?” I asked. 

“No. Not yet,” Kellan said, sniffly and stuffed up. “We need this one sober for it all to sink in.”

“I’m sober enough,” Emmett said, his words still slurring. 

“Nope. You’re not. I’m keeping him in my room since I don’t trust him,” Kellan snapped, smacking Emmett upside the head. “Tomorrow, noon. Band meeting to discuss Emmett’s future in Breaking Midnight. Think about it.”

“Should we tell Bella?” Jasper asked. 

“She has a right to know,” Kellan nodded. “Also, tell Nia and Alice. They’re as much a part of our team as you are. Emmett, if we decide to keep you. You’ve got a lot to do in order to regain our trust. Let’s go.”  

We rode up to our respective rooms. Bella was back and sitting on the bed, folding the purchases she’d gotten while she was shopping with Alice and Nia. I also noticed our laundry suitcase was empty. “Clothes off to be laundered?” I asked.

“Yep. Alice made arrangements for the clothes to be cleaned while we were out,” Bella answered. “We’ll have clean clothes by this time tomorrow. How was your day?”

“Interesting,” I answered, sitting down next to Bella’s pile of naughty lacy things. “Do I get a fashion show later?”

“Only if you don’t rip them off, Edward Anthony,” she said, grabbing a pair of nude panties. “How was your day interesting?”

“Well, we went to the casino,” I grumbled. 

“You’re so not a gambler,” she giggled. “Did you lose your shirt?”

“Actually, the opposite,” I replied. “I won. A lot. So much, that I got you a present. But you’ll get that later.”

“Why not now?” she whined, giving me the sad puppy look. 

“Because, here comes the interesting part,” I sighed, running my hand through my hair. “As I was leaving a shop, I got a phone call from Jasper. Emmett disappeared.”

“Fuck,” she sneered. “What did he do?”

“We went in search for him. Jasper and I went in the casino; Kellan went to talk to the hotel manager or concierge. It turned out that Emmett and some blonde woman went up to a room on the fourth floor. The room was in her name, which turned out to be fake and ...”

“Please don’t tell me he was fucking her,” Bella snapped. 

“Not fucking. He was getting a blow job,” I said, cringing. 

“WHAT?! HAS HE NOT LEARNED ANYTHING?!” Bella screamed. “Oh, I’m so going to kill him.” She shot up from the bed, making a beeline to the door. I caught up to her, grabbing her by the waist. “Let me go, Edward. My brother needs to have his balls surgically removed with a rusty spoon and I’m going to be the one to do it!”

“No,  _cantante_ ,” I said, turning her in my arms. “Don’t go down there, half-cocked. We’re having a band meeting tomorrow morning to determine Emmett’s fate with the band.”

“If it were up to me, he’d be out. I’m over it, Edward. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. First Emmett’s infidelity and this stalker? I can’t control the stalker, but I can control my brother. My opinion is that he’s out,” she growled, wriggling out of my arms and into the bathroom, slamming the door. 

_Hell hath no fury than a Bella pissed ..._

**A/N: Sorry ... cliffie. Will Emmett still be in the band? What do you think? Leave me some suggestions and loving.** **Pictures from this chapter are on my blog, the link for that is on my profile. You can also find me on Facebook and access the blog through Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I’m also on twitter, too: tufano79.** **Up next will be Bella, talking about Emmett and his future with the band, a naughty fashion show along with a side of lemonade, the Montreal performance along with Albany, visiting with Carlisle and Esme. Leave me some!**

**_Translations:_ ** _Tu sei la mia vita ora e sempre sarà. –_ You are my life and always will be. ****

 

 

 

 

 


	8. Regret, Remorse and ...

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be Bella, talking about Emmett and his future with the band, a naughty fashion show along with a side of lemonade, the Montreal performance along with Albany, visiting with Carlisle and Esme. Leave me some!**

**Chapter Eight: Regret, Remorse and ...**

**BPOV**

I clenched my hands into fists over and over again. I was absolutely livid at my stupid, moronic, asinine, idiotic brother. There were a few more words that I wanted to add, but it wouldn’t be politically correct. He had worked so hard in rehab, cleaned up his act and in one day, he threw it all away. Because of his sexual debauchery with a _prostitute_ , he proved to all of us, especially me, that he was not trustworthy.

What was he thinking?! A prostitute? I seriously want to cut off his balls. Fucking idiot. I’m sick. SICK!

“Bella,” Edward sighed, turning on the lamp next to the bed. “I know you’re angry, but not sleeping is going to make you even crankier.”

“I can’t sleep, Edward,” I spat, sitting up and pulling my knees to my chest. “I’ve always looked up to him. Emmett was my protector, big brother and best friend. Now? I’m so fucking ashamed of him.” I blew out a breath, pushing the covers back and frenetically pacing the suite, stomping on the carpeting. “I can’t think of any reason why we should let him stay, Edward. He’s not worth the trouble. Yes, he’s my brother, but he’s a liability.”

Edward hopped out of bed, stopping me in my tracks. “Bella, as angry as you are at Emmett, we also have to think about his health. If we send him home, what do you think he’ll do?”

“Overdose by the time we get back,” I snorted, pinching my nose. “We could send him to my dad’s?”

“That could be an option, but what he needs is his family,” Edward urged, cupping my face. “He knows he fucked up.”

“And he’s going to keep fucking up if we enable him,” I spat, pulling out of Edward’s touch. I walked to the window and stared out at the Montreal skyline. I was trying to calm down, but I just couldn’t. I was so angry at Emmett. My husband stood behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist. I stood rigidly until he started humming my lullaby. I eventually melted into him, leaning my head back against his shoulder. “What if he never changes, Edward?”

“For now, let’s focus on today and what we can accomplish with Emmett today. We’ll discuss it as a band. However, you need to get some sleep. I know you’re angry and I’m with you, _cantante_. We can’t make any rational decisions without any sleep,” he said. “Let’s try and get some rest. We’ll think clearer if our minds are rested.”

“Kay,” I sighed, turning in his arms. I pressed my cheek to his pec and tightened my arms around his waist. Edward held me close, leaning his chin on my head. Kissing the crown of my head, he tugged me toward the bed. We snuggled in the middle, linked together in some sort of human puzzle. Listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat, my eyelids drooped and I eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, we all met in Jasper’s suite. Timmy, the Cliff Hangers’ drummer, was also there. He looked confused as to why he was in the room. Emmett and Kellan came in. Emmett looked like hell, his eyes were covered with deep, bruise-like circles and his face was littered with dark stubble. Emmett sat down on the couch in the room, his shoulders hunched and his posture defeated.

Kellan sat down next to me, patting my knee before turning to face everyone. “Now, you know why we’re here, Emmett,” Kellan said coldly. “You made a promise to keep it clean, to not drink, to not stray, but we’re back here with you in the hot seat.”

“I know,” Emmett whispered.

“Why, Emmett?” I blurted. “Why did you fall off the wagon? It’s not enough for us to deal with this random psycho sending us letters and flowers with hidden meaning, threatening our lives. Now, you have to go back to your old habits. Partying and screwing around on your wife!”

“I don’t know what happened. I was drinking my soda and then, the waitress made a mistake, giving me a rum and coke,” Emmett said. “It tasted so good that I didn’t correct her. One drink turned to five and I was feeling buzzed.”

“Jasper was sitting right next to you,” Edward said, his anger evident in his voice.

“He wouldn’t have known since I kept my drink on the other side,” Emmett said, tugging on his short hair. “And then, this gorgeous woman sits next to me and she flirted with me. In my boozy haze, I thought it was Rosie.”

“Rose is in New York with her family,” I deadpanned. “And when you got to the room, this blonde bimbo asking for money should have been the first clue that it wasn’t Rose.”

“I know!” Emmett yelled, moaning as he clutched his head. “I know. I fucked up. I get it. I don’t know what to do to make it right, or if it’s even possible.”

Kellan sighed, reaching into his bag and pulling out a folder. “I was hoping it wasn’t going to come to this, Emmett, but I think and from the look on all of your faces, we’re all in agreement, that we need you sign a contract regarding your sobriety and your relationships outside of this group. Essentially, it says that if you take one step out of line after today, you will no longer be a part of the band, Breaking Midnight. Timmy will take over your spot and we’ll get someone to fill in for him with the Cliff Hangers.

“Additionally, you will have to submit to random drug tests and your freedom, while on tour, will be severely limited. If I’m not going somewhere, you’re not going somewhere. You’re my bitch,” Kellan said, his voice icy and his eyes narrowed.

“Are all of you in agreement with this?” Emmett asked, looking around.

“We’d discussed while you were in rehab, Emmett,” Jasper said. “We all hoped that being in that program would help you and that you’d stay clean, but we need to have more than just your word. Right now, your word means shit.”

“We are,” I said, staring into my brother’s eyes. “You may think that we’re doing this to hurt you, but we’re doing this to _help_ you. You can’t keep making the same mistakes. I love you, Emmett, but I don’t trust you and I sure as hell don’t like you right now.”

“You can read this over tonight. I’m staying here with you and Timmy is playing the concert,” Kellan explained.

“Who is going to take my place for the Cliff Hangers?” Timmy asked.

“One of the stage guys is a percussionist. He’s working with your band now,” Kellan said. “Since we have this last-minute change, you guys need to head to the Bell Centre for a rehearsal. Lunch and dinner will be provided. If there are any emergencies, you all have my cell number.”

We all nodded, getting up and leaving Emmett and Kellan in Jasper’s room. Riding down the elevator, we got on the bus and drove to the Bell Centre. Once inside, we ate a quick lunch and then we got outfitted with our ear protection and ran through each of the songs we’d be performing, no lights or theatrics. Timmy, as usual, sounded amazing and he was confident when he was finished.

The guys went to shower in the locker room while Alice and Nia helped me get ready for our concert. My hair was curled and I looked like a Vargas girl, with pin curls and a large red flower in my ponytail. My makeup was also retro, with a bright red lip and cat-eyed eyeliner. Before I changed into my dress, we all ate dinner in one of the locker rooms. I didn’t eat much since I was an anxious wreck. I was worried about my brother.

_Would he sign the contract? Will he leave if he doesn’t? How can we regain our lost trust in him?_

I was also anxious about the show. I didn’t doubt Timmy’s abilities, but the physical differences between the two were obvious. Would the audience know that we were having these issues and would they c  ontinue to come to our concerts? It was all craziness and I just pushed my food around my plate, not able to focus on anything but the negative things that were happening to us as a band and to Edward and me, individually.

“Beautiful, what’s wrong?” Edward asked, taking my hand and threading our fingers together.

“Just perseverating,” I whispered. “I’ll be fine. My control freak is coming out in _full_ force.”

“Do you want some of your anxiety meds?” Edward asked, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles.

“No. They make me tired and I want to be upbeat for tonight’s performance,” I replied. “Thank you, though.”

“You’re welcome, my love,” he smiled, kissing me tenderly. “I’m happy that we’re going to visit my family tomorrow. I think that will be exactly what we need to rejuvenate our travel-weary bodies. I just know that Mom is going to have a feast for us.”

“As weird as it sounds, can we stay with them? I kind of want to be spoiled by your parents,” I blushed.

“You need a mom?” Edward asked, toying with a stray curl. I nodded, biting my lip. “I’m certain that Esme will do everything in her power to mother you to pieces, _cantante_. I love you so much, Bella. Don’t ever doubt that.”

“That’s the one thing that I don’t doubt,” I said, kissing him swiftly.

“Don’t kiss off her lipstick, Edward!” Alice shrieked.

“It’ll need to be reapplied, Ali. I ate dinner,” I giggled.

“Well, let’s get going. The doors are opening in ten minutes and the Cliff Hangers have to do their sound check,” Alice said. She tugged me out of my seat and I waved at my husband as we disappeared to the other locker room where my ‘salon’ was set up. Alice and Nia fixed my curls and touched up my makeup before I dressed in a black and red dress. The top was red and satiny, cupping my breasts and giving me a sinful cleavage. Underneath, it cinched at the waist and was black, flaring out with layers of red crinoline, making the skirt pouf out from my hips. My shoes were red and thankfully, had a chunkier heel for my own safety. “You look totally vintage, Bells. Let me take a picture!”

I pursed my lips like I was kissing someone, kicking my foot up and had my hands on my hips. Alice took a few photos and posted them to the group’s Instagram page. “Very adorable,” Alice said.

“Thanks,” I said, looking at the photo. She had added some vintage filter and wrote a caption about me gearing up for the sold out show at the Bell Centre.

“I don’t mean to be a buzzkill, but what do you think Emmett’s going to do?” Nia asked.

“The ball’s in his court. He has to want to get better. We made that contract on the contigency that we didn’t have to use it,” I said. “But, now that it’s out there, he either has to abide by the rules we determined as a band or leave. I know it seems harsh ...”

“I get it,” Nia said. “Kellan and I had an uncle who was an alcoholic. He worked his ass off to get clean and sober. On his one-year anniversary of being sober, he went out with his coworkers. They were all drinking and he thought that he could handle one beer. He couldn’t. My mom got a phone call at one in the morning that our uncle was involved in a car crash. A single car crash. He was killed instantly when the car exploded.”

“Oh, wow,” Alice whispered.

“There was nothing, really, to bury. He was cremated in his car,” Nia sighed. “It’s one of the numerous reasons why Kellan and I don’t really drink. We can party, but one or two drinks is the maximum for either of us.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said, hugging Nia closely.

“We were never close with him because of his alcoholism. However, he still spoke to my mom and made her his emergency contact,” Nia replied. “Kellan was already out of the house, working on his college degree when it happened about fifteen years ago.”

“I can’t imagine Kellan in his twenties,” I snickered.

“He was so skinny,” Nia smirked. “He didn’t develop muscles until he started working with you guys and going to the gym with Edward, Jasper and Emmett. He’s always been a bit of a nerd.”

“Kellan is far from a nerd,” I deadpanned. “When I think ‘nerd’, I picture a guy with pants hiked up to his nipples, thick glasses and a pocket protector.” Alice nodded in agreement.

“Let me see if I have it,” Nia said, flipping through her phone. “Ah ha! Got it. Kellan Eric Moore, before Lasik and braces.”

We took the phone from Nia, shocked to see the exact nerd I had described in front of me. He was skinny, with greasy hair and really bad teeth. Kellan’s glasses were thick and his face was covered with pimples. “That cannot be Kellan,” Alice squeaked.

“Oh, it’s my brother,” Nia snorted. “And my guess was that he probably hadn’t showered in four days when this picture was taken. Kellan was afraid of water. Still is, to some effect. He won’t go into a pool that goes past his shoulders and don’t even think about the ocean. But, with his eyes corrected, his teeth straightened and an annoying little sister prodding him to get that acne shit from the television, he cleaned up nicely. I do still see this guy, at times.”

“Damn,” I said, handing her back the phone. “Who would have known?”

“Just don’t tell Kellan that you’ve seen this. He’s honestly embarrassed by it and seeing it, you can see why. I love my brother, but I do have blackmail material if he ever decides to be a dick,” Nia giggled.

“We’ve got five minutes until the opener is going to start,” called Lou.

“That’s my cue to head up to the green room,” I said, hugging them both. “I am truly sorry about your uncle and I hope that we don’t have the same outcome with Emmett.”

“Me neither, Bells,” Nia said, grasping my hand. “Break a leg!”

“I may just do that,” I laughed, heading up the stairs and to the green room just off the stage. Edward and Jasper were there, talking quietly. Timmy had his headphones on, drumming on a practice pad with his eyes closed. All of us were dressed in a vintage fashion. Edward had on a black suit with a white shirt and a skinny red tie. Jasper coordinated with us with a grey vest and a burgundy bow tie, along with his ever-present fedora hat. Timmy was in a red v-neck shirt and a pair of grey pants with black Chucks on his feet. “Are we ready?”

“Soon,” Edward said, taking my hand and turning me around. “I like this. A lot.”

“So do I. It’s surprisingly comfortable,” I said. “Did you hear from Kellan?”

“He texted me before I turned off my phone, wishing us luck. He and Emmett are still talking,” he said. “Do you all want to pray?”

“I think we need it with all of the drama,” Jasper said, walking over to Timmy and tapping him on the shoulder. He pulled off his headphones, walking over to us. We made our circle and Jasper began our prayer. “Tonight, we need Your loving support. Our band, we’re struggling with many trials and we need Your guidance. Please, watch over Edward and Bella and protect them from the evil that is threatening them. Please, help Emmett realize his mistakes and learn from them so he can be with us and serve you. Finally, please welcome Timmy into our family tonight. He’ll need your strength to get through our performance. We honor and serve You, always and forever. Amen.”

“Amen,” we all responded, squeezing hands.

“I’m nervous,” Timmy said, pulling out his drum sticks. “Regardless, I would have been performing in front of that audience, but it seems bigger because I’m performing with you. Plus, I feel like I’m letting down the Cliff Hangers.”

“They are well aware of what’s happening,” Edward said. “They are all supportive you being here for us. Hopefully, Emmett will pull his head out of his ass and he’ll sign that contract. Then, you’ll be back with the Cliff Hangers. For tonight, though, have fun and don’t worry about the audience. They’ll cheer no matter what.”

“Maybe they’ll cheer so loudly that they won’t hear my mistakes,” Timmy chortled.

As he said that, the sound engineers came in and put on our ear protection. I was also handed my preferred microphone and we went to the wings of the stage as the Cliff Hangers finished their set. The stage crew member did an amazing job and he was beaming when they finished their final song. The lights went down and they scrambled off the stage. Timmy hugged his bandmates as a crew member helped him to the drums. Edward and Jasper helped me on stage and the light show began, swirling and the instrumental music coming to life like a ethereal being. With Lou, we seamlessly entered and our concert began while our worries moved to the back of our minds.

At least for the moment ...

xx LMDC xx

After the concert, which had been awesome despite missing our drummer, we drove back to the hotel. Since Edward and I got little sleep, we decided to crash after we washed of the grime and sweat of the concert. Performing was amazing, but the heat of the lights and the inducing sweat was just gross. We also noticed a note from Kellan, saying that we were meeting in Jasper’s room before we departed for Albany, which was about four and half hours away. Edward acknowledged it and pulled me into bed, making love to me before we both of collapsed out of exhaustion.

The next morning, we ate breakfast in bed before packing up our stuff and rolling it to Jasper’s room. Emmett was there, along with everyone from the meeting the day prior, including Timmy. My brother still looked like hell, almost sick. Edward pulled me into his lap, waiting for the meeting to start. Kellan nudged Emmett and sat down next to Alice.

“Okay, so,” Emmett began, running a shaking hand through his hair, “what happened here was a huge mistake and I know that. The consequences are real and I have no one to blame but myself.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the contract. “I’ve signed this and I want to continue. I fully understand the stipulations if I take one step out of line.” He placed the signed contract on the table and sat back down, clenching his hands.

“Are you okay, Emmett?” Alice asked. “You seem under the weather.”

“Even with the drinks I had, I’m really wanting one really bad. I’m detoxing, as it were,” Emmett said. “I should be fine by the time we perform in Albany. A long nap on the bus ride is just what the doctor ordered.”

“Signing the contract is one step, Emmett,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “You have a lot to do in order to fully gain our trust. One of those things is to talk to your wife. Let her know what you did.”

“Fuck,” Emmett muttered. He scrubbed his face and leaned forward on his knees. “I know I have to, but I’m terrified that this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. She’ll really leave me this time. I’m going to get divorce papers served to me while I’m on this tour.”

“And you have no one but yourself to blame,” Edward said, arching a brow.

“We do need to go if we want to make the border cross in a decent time,” Kellan said. “This one is a bit more congested and I know you all want to spend some time with Edward’s parents.” He got up and we followed him, our bags in tow.

Once our luggage was stowed underneath the bus, we all clambered onto our respective transportation. Edward and I were spending our time working on the movie soundtrack, hoping to finish at least two songs by the time we reached Albany. The drive went by quickly and we sailed through the border crossing into New York. By mid afternoon, we were pulling into the Union Center. Edward’s adoptive parents were there with a Esme’s huge SUV, waiting for us. Warm hugs and kisses were passed all around. Esme held me tighter than usual.

“It’s been too long,” she whispered against my hair. “You guys need to come to visit us more often.”

“Once we’re done, we’ll be spending a lot of time in New York while we work on the new album,” I said, grasping her hands. “

And hopefully, starting a family,” Edward added, his arms sliding around my waist.

“About time,” Carlisle chuckled. “Esme has been complaining about the lack of grandbabies. And don’t get me started on Senior. He’s even worse!”

“Is he here?” Edward asked, kissing my temple.

“He is. He had to work, but will be over for dinner. Are all of my babies coming home with me?” Esme asked, bouncing on her toes.

“If you’ll have us,” I smiled. She squealed, nodding excitedly. Thankfully, Carlisle had driven separately, using Edward’s Volvo SUV that he bought when we were in college. With Esme’s Land Rover and Edward’s Volvo, we were all able to fit and drove to Edward’s childhood home, a half hour outside of Albany. The crew and the Cliff Hangers were planning on staying at the hotel, though we did invite the Cliff Hangers to come with us. They declined, wanting to meet up with some friends in Albany.

Arriving at the beautiful house, we all took off in different directions. Edward practically dragged me up to his bedroom. Alice showed Nia and Jasper would stay. Carlisle directed Kellan to a bedroom in the basement and Esme pointed Emmett to another guest room off the formal living room. In Edward’s golden bedroom, he crawled onto the bed and collapsed, face-first onto the soft, black and golden duvet cover. “There is no place like home,” he sighed, smiling crookedly up at me. “I never knew how much I loved this fucking bed. It’s the best bed ever.”

“Should I leave you alone so you can bond with your bed?” I snickered.

“No. I want my wife in the bed _with me_ ,” he growled, tugging on my arm and dragging me into his arms. I squealed, burying my nose into his chest. He latched onto me, holding me with his legs and arms as close as humanly possible. “I don’t wanna leave.”

“Unfortunately, we have another four months of touring, Edward,” I said, squirming a little bit until he gave me some more space. “But, I have to agree, sleeping here is definitely a welcome respite. The hotel beds, it’s like they’re made out of rocks or something.”

“Or something,” Edward said, his eyes darkening and his face quirking up into a sensual grin. “Does this bring back memories, Ms. Swan? Our first night alone?”

“Hmmmm, it does, Mr. Cullen,” I purred, reaching for his shirt. He leaned down, kissing me tenderly and gripped my ass. However, our kisses were interrupted by a pounding on the door.

“Guys, Senior is here,” Alice chirped. “Get dressed.”

“Fuck,” Edward snarled.

“I know. I wanted to fuck, too,” I pouted.

“To be continued?” he asked, looking down at me with absolute heartbreak.

“Um, duh!” I laughed, pecking his nose before scrambling out of bed. Edward sighed, following me and adjusting his erection underneath his jeans. Taking his hand, we went downstairs and saw Edward’s birth father. He looked almost exactly like Edward, but with darker hair, with gray at the temples and hazel eyes. He wore a dark navy blue suit with a light blue shirt and a red tie. He was talking, smiling with Esme and Alice.

“Senior,” Edward said, holding out his hand.

He turned and smiled crookedly, pulling my husband into a tight embrace. “My world famous son! Everyone at the office wants to know if they could have your autograph?” he laughed, pulling back. “I’m so proud of you, Edward. I’ve nothing but amazing things about your tour.”

“A lot has to do with Alice and Kellan,” Edward said, jutting his chin to his sister.

“It was a joint effort. We just shined them up and made them pretty,” Alice snickered.

“You did more than that,” Senior barked, clapping Edward’s arm. He turned to me. “My beautiful daughter-in-law. You keeping Edward in line?”

“I’m trying,” I laughed, hugging him and kissing his cheek. “It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. Are you able to come to the concert tomorrow? We can get you a ticket.”

“Unfortunately not,” he frowned. “I need to fly to Chicago for a board meeting for the Elizabeth Masen Fine Arts Foundation.”

Once Senior had decided to give up his job being a defense attorney, he used the money he had acquired to start a foundation for schools in need of fine arts programs. School administrators, music educators and district personel would come to the foundation, requesting funds for their buildings, auditoriums and programs. It was named in honor of Edward’s birth mother, Elizabeth, who had instilled his love of music into his bones. The program was run off donations, grants, and federal funding after Senior’s initial start up capital. He was also the chairman of the board, listening to the presentations of various school districts asking for money to maintain, build-up or rejuvenate their arts programs, including music, art and drama.

“Are you hearing another presentation?” Edward asked, rooting around in the fridge.

“Two and then, I’ve got a few cases I need to address as well,” Senior sighed. “But, I am free for your performances at Wrigley Field when you’re in Chicago.”

“It’s why he’s here tonight,” Esme said, handing him a glass of wine. “He wanted to see his world famous kids.”

“You’re going to make our heads inflate, Senior,” I giggled.

“It’s the truth,” he said, taking a sip of his wine. “What can I do, Es?”

“Relax and spend time with your son and daughter-in-law!” Esme replied, pushing all of us out onto the patio in the backyard. “Alice, get everyone out and spend some time in the sunlight. You guys are getting to pale from spending all those hours on the buses.”

“Got it,” Alice said, hopping off her chair and screaming as Esme closed the door. Once everyone was on the patio, Esme brought out a huge carafe of sangria and some appetizers. I eventually got up and helped Esme make dinner, which was a delicious seafood dish with saffron rice, asparagus and cheesecake fluff.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Emmett turned to Senior. “I don’t know if you heard about my troubles, Senior,” Emmett mumbled.

“I read about that girl who tried to pin a pregnancy on you,” Senior said, frowning. “I take it the baby wasn’t yours?”

“No. Irrevocably, the baby wasn’t mine,” Emmett spat. “But, what that girl did was deplorable and I want her to pay for dragging my name through the mud!”

“You want to file a defamation lawsuit,” Senior said. Emmett nodded. “I can give you a name of an excellent attorney in Los Angeles who can help you. Peter is amazing at what he does and he hasn’t lost a defamation suit in all of the years I’ve known him.”

“Why can’t you represent me?” Emmett asked.

“Because I’m not certified to practice law in California, which is where the incident occurred,” Senior chuckled. He reached for his phone, pulling up a contact. With a few swipes, Emmett’s phone beeped. “You have Peter’s number and you can call him anytime. Just tell him that I recommended him to represent you in this case.”

“Thanks, Senior,” Emmett said, tucking the phone into his pockets. He got up, walking toward the door. “I’m bushed and still feeling like shit.”

“Language, Emmett,” Esme chided.

“Sorry, Esme,” Emmett chuckled. “Feeling under the weather. I’m going to go to sleep. Good night, everyone.”

“I think we’re all bushed,” Edward said, squeezing my hip. “And we’ve got our performance tomorrow.”

“Be grateful we didn’t add a morning show appearance,” Kellan snickered. “It was on the first few drafts of the tour, but the radio station, there was an issue with the location. We couldn’t fit in the studio and they refused to move, but wanted an actual set with all of the instruments. Not an acoustic set. So, I pulled the plug.”

“Well, thank you for that,” Jasper said, getting up and threading his fingers with Nia. He smiled at her, waggling his brows.

“Ugh,” Kellan moaned, thrusting his hands into his hair.

“I’m not a virgin, Kel. I lost it when I was fourteen,” she sang as Jasper dragged her inside.

“I don’t need to know that!” Kellan grumbled. He smiled at us, apologizing to Carlisle and Esme. “Excuse me while I bleach my brain. It was wonderful to meet you, Carlisle and Esme. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things.”

“As we’ve heard wonderful things about you, Kellan,” Esme said, hugging him. “From both of my children. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to holler, or bug Edward.”

“Hey!” Edward barked.

“I’ll need more brain bleach with that one,” Kellan deadpanned. “Oh, before I forget. Your tickets for tomorrow’s show are at will call. You’re in a private room, close to the front of the stadium. Nia will be there, acting as your liaison if you need anything.”

“Thank you again,” Esme smiled, kissing his cheek. Kellan shook Carlisle’s hand and disappeared downstairs into the basement.

“I’ll also be in the room, Mom. Even though I’ve been involved with the tour and every aspect of it, I’ve never seen it,” Alice giggled. “So, we’re going to have a good time. I think, Mom, you need a new outfit for the occasion. Want to go shopping tomorrow morning?”

“There’s my daughter that I know and love,” Esme laughed. “Come on, Alice. Let’s plan our shopping excursion. Maybe Bella can join us?”

“I’ve got more than enough clothes thanks to your daughter,” I snorted. “I’m good. I’d rather spend as much time as I can sleeping in that glorious bed since hotel beds suck.”

They laughed, walking inside and to the computer in the kitchen. Carlisle kissed us both and he went upstairs to his room, exhausted from having an early day rounding at the hospital.

“All alone,” I sang, running my fingers through Edward’s hair.

“Yep,” he replied. “Are going to continue what we started upstairs?”

I heard a rustle in the trees, making me shudder involuntarily. However, I stared into my husband’s eyes, licking my lips and pressing my body against his. “What do you think?” I asked, leaning forward and brushing my lips with his. He picked me up, carrying me up to his bedroom with his glorious bed. Which we thoroughly descrated with numerous orgasms and hours of making love.

Though the euphoria I felt from being with my husband didn’t help me shake off the heebie-jeebies I felt just before we went inside. Was someone watching us?

xx LMDC xx

I was in the dressing room, reading a book. Nia and Alice had dressed and poofed me for tonight’s concert. I was just relaxing before we gathered for our prayer. Emmett came inside and he still looked like absolute hell. “What’s up, Emmett?” I asked, putting my book down.

“I told Rose,” he whispered.

“And?” I asked.

“And she didn’t say anything. Barbie got on the phone and she told me to leave her daughter alone,” Emmett muttered. “She called me such horrific names, Isabelly.”

“As much as it probably hurts, you deserved them, Emmett,” I said. “Don’t you understand what you’re doing? How your behavior is causing a rift between your wife and yourself? How we can’t trust you? Is it real now?”

“It’s been real, Bella,” he said gruffly. “Because of my stupid decisions, I’ve lost the woman I love more than anything in the world and my future with Breaking Midnight is being held together by a quickly fraying thread.”

“You need to do some soul-searching, Emmett. I love you, but I’m still ashamed of what you did. My brother, my big brother, prior to all of this bullshit, would have never cheated on someone. He would have never done drugs or relied on alcohol to have a good time. Is being in the band the best decision?” I shrugged. “You may think so and while we don’t want to break up the Cliff Hangers, we love that you’re here. However, this situation is exactly what got you into trouble in the first place, Em.”

“It’s definitely something to think about, Bella,” Emmett sighed. “But, I can’t go home.”

“Have you considered staying with Dad?” I suggested. “You know he’d do everything in his power to help you, after he threatens you with a shot gun and trying arrest you for what you’ve done.”

Emmett snorted, “Ain’t that the truth.” He narrowed his eyes and sat back on the couch. “I just want another chance, Isabelly. I know I can do this! I don’t want you guys to give up on me, but the contract, I feel like you already have.”

“If we had given up on you, you’d be on the next flight home, Emmett. You’re so strong, Brother Bear. Show us your strength. The strength in your heart to stop this partying and fucking around. That strength and those beliefs only come from here,” I said, nuzzling his hair. “Use your brains for good and not evil, Emmett. Try it some time. You may like it.”

“If anyone has brains, it’s you, Bella,” Emmett said, wrapping me into a tight hug. “I love you so much, Bells. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I love you, too, Em,” I sighed, snuggling in my brother’s arms. He kissed my head and pulled back as Edward and Jasper came in, getting ready for our prayer before our performance. Jasper said the most perfect prayer, giving our thanks to God for our talents and for an amazing tour so far. We hugged and went up to the stage, waiting for the Cliff Hangers to finish. I shivered and moved closer to Edward.

“You okay, _cantante?_ ” he asked, pressing his lips to my forehead.

“Just a chill. It’s more than likely nerves,” I chuckled. “This is our _home_ town.”

“Well, my home town,” Edward laughed. “I think all of Emerson University is out there. Kellan said that there a ton of students wearing Emerson gear. We are definitely loved.”

I hummed, standing on my tip toes and thanking Alice for not putting me in heels tonight, kissing my husband’s lips. “I love you, handsome.”

“I adore you, beautiful,” he purred, patting my ass.

“Thank you, ALBANY!” screamed Meghan and with a flourish, the last chord of the song rang through the speakers.

The lights went down and the crew helped the Cliff Hangers off the stage while we all scrambled on stage. Once we were settled, Lou gave the go ahead to start the music and videos. Gripping my microphone, I blew out a breath and shook of the remaining nerves. Seamlessly, Edward, Jasper and Emmett joined into the recorded music as it was faded away. The lights went up, shining on all of us and I smirked, picking up the microphone as I began singing “La Cantante.”

The first half of the show went by beautifully. I felt comfortable, at ease and my voice was strong. The second half, that was a little bit of a mess. One of Emmett’s drums broke a head and it had been recently replaced. Emmett recovered, avoiding that drum, but there was a missing element to his rhythms. The biggest issue we had was a power surge that caused half the stage, including the microphones to go out. Lou and his crew worked quickly to resolve the issue, finding that someone had tampered with the surge box in the bowels of the center. We finished the concert, extending our encore to include some of our songs we played when we performed at Emerson and apologized for the technical malfunctions, but we received excited cheers and praise.

The lights went down and we scrambled off the stage. Inside, Kellan and Lou were frowning and angry. “What’s wrong?” Edward asked.

“The lighting thing? We think someone deliberately did that to cause a delay in the show,” Lou explained. “And Emmett’s drum set was tested before we went on stage.”

“Who would sabotage our performance?” Jasper asked.

“I don’t know. We did get a few new members of the stage crew. Some of the previous guys, they had to leave for personal reasons. They stayed through this performance to show the newbies the ropes, but they’re heading home after tonight,” Lous said. “But, the new stage crew, they’ve been vetted through Twilight and that security firm, Pandora.”

“It could have been someone from the Union Center,” Emmett suggested. “They had access to all of our equipment.”

“I’m still going to have Pandora run a complete investigation,” Kellan sneered. “This was too specific to be random.”

“Do you think it’s the guy who’s stalking us?” I whispered.

“We don’t know, but we’ll find out, Bella,” Kellan said, his face softening. “I have two SUVs waiting for you outside. They’re going to drive you back to Edward’s parent’s house.”

“Are they in them?” Edward asked. “My parents? Are they coming with us?”

“I got them a limo. Alice and Nia are with them,” Kellan smiled. “I’m staying at the hotel, bunking with Lou once we’re done investigating.” He hugged us and sent us out the back entrance to the waiting black SUVs. Edward and I got in one while Jasper and Emmett got in the other.

The SUVs got on the highway and I reached blindly for Edward’s hand. He took it, threading our fingers together. “Talk to me, _cantante_ ,” he said, his voice quiet.“

I’m just baffled. Why would someone try to deliberately sabotage our concert?” I asked. “Do you think that it’s the person who’s stalking us?”

“I don’t know, Bella. But, I know that Kellan is working with Lou to ensure our safety,” Edward replied, pulling me to his side. “Plus, I’ll do everything to protect you. You have to know that.”

“I do, but this seems so much bigger than us. I don’t know,” I sighed, leaning my cheek against his bicep. I idly traced some of the ink he had on his skin.

“We’ll be okay, _cantante_ ,” he vowed, kissing my lips. “This monster won’t get us. I promise you that.”

If only I could believe him ... we still didn’t even know who the monster was. How can you fight a battle when you don’t even know your enemy?

**A/N: Do you agree with Lou and Kellan’s assessment that the lighting and drum set were sabotaged or were they freak accidents? Do you think Bella is overreacting? Anyhow, pictures of the Montreal venue, the Bell Centre, Edward’s childhood home and Union Center are on my blog. You can also find me on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I’m also on twitter: tufano79.**

**Leave me some!**   

 


	9. Rock and Roll ... of Fame

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be their next two to three stops which include Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. We’re going to do some touristy things in Philly, along with another acoustic set and a meet and greet. There also may be some citrusy, lemony action. I’m feeling a bit parched. I need some lemonade.**

**Chapter Nine: Rock and Roll Hall … of Fame**

**EPOV**

Bella and I didn’t want to leave my parent’s home after our performance in Albany. Bella was shaken by the discovery of the alleged sabotage with the electrical issues and broken drum set. Hell, so was I. I was terrified that one of those very heavy lights would crash down on one of our heads during the performance. Lou assured us that they would double, triple check everything, but it didn’t assuage my fears, nor my wife’s. I wanted to stay in the safety of my childhood home where there were no chances that a psycho stalker would try to kill us.

But, that wasn’t happening.

We had a tour to put on and obligations that went along with that.

Bella was talking to my adoptive mother while I packed up our bags in my room. Carlisle, my adoptive father, came into the room and he gave me a sympathetic smile. “Where are you heading next?”

“Philadelphia. We’re supposed to do some touristy things and then an acoustic set, along with a meet and greet in some music store,” I replied. “The next day, we’re doing our concert at the Wells Fargo Center.”

“Sounds hectic. I don’t know how you and the rest of the band stay sane,” Carlisle snorted.

“Having something to do on the bus occupies our time while we travel. The fact that we’re all so close helps, too,” I shrugged. “Though, our relationship with Emmett is rocky at best right now because of his drinking and philandering.”

“Not to pry, but how does that impact his part in the band?”

“His drinking makes him stupid, which makes us as a band look bad. In regard to his infidelity, that’s another notch against us. We pride ourselves on our integrity and Emmett’s actions are negating that reputation. Plus, he went to rehab and he was clean for three months! Also, his actions are causing _huge_ repercussions in his marriage,” I answered. “He and Rosalie are separated.”

“I’m not surprised,” Carlisle said, picking up a book that I’d grabbed from the library in the house. “This is good. I enjoyed it. It’s not what I expected, but reading about a world where you have repopulate the human race after a major infection that nearly wipes out everyone … I think you’ll like it. Bella, too. There’s a romantic element with the two main characters.”

“She was the one who picked it out. She’s in the middle of this other erotica series that makes her squirm,” I chuckled, blushing slightly. “My wife is weird and only wants to read real books. She has an e-reader, but she misses the feeling of turning a page, smelling the ink on the paper, and holding the book. So, we have a date to go to a book store in Philadelphia. She needs more books, but I have no idea where we’re going to put them. Our library is damned near full.”

“An escape from the craziness of touring, hmmm?” Carlisle laughed.

“It would seem,” I said, closing our suitcase and tossing the book into my messenger bag. “Did you like the concert, despite the technical glitches?”

“I’m so proud of you, Edward,” he beamed. “I know I gave you a lot of shit about being a musician, but seeing you on that stage and performing in front of those people … that’s something that I couldn’t do. Hell, I nearly shit my pants when I have present at a conference and those are doctors who support and have read my research.”

“The first time we performed in a major venue, I think all of us were sick,” I said, sitting down next to him on the bed. “Bella was in the bathroom, puking her guts out until the stage manager gave us the five-minute warning. Emmett expressed his issues in making the room noxious with his gas. Jasper sweat through his shirt before we went on stage and I went through puberty. Again.”

“Oh, my,” Carlisle snickered.

“Yeah, but once we got on stage, all of that fell away and it was the most euphoric feeling the world. The only thing I enjoy more than performing is making love to my wife,” I sighed.

“Yeah, I don’t need to know that,” Carlisle coughed, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. “I know that you and Bella are, um …”

“Did we keep you up?” I asked, my face turning a bright red, but smirking.

“No. Didn’t hear a thing,” he said, getting up, his ears turning a subtle pink. “Anyway, call us every so often. I know that Esme misses you and so do I.” He leaned down, kissing my head and left the room quickly. My adoptive dad so heard Bella and I make love, erm, fuck each other hard last night.

_Note to self, keep the wild monkey sex for our own home or in secluded corners of our hotels._

I dragged our bags into the foyer. Kellan sent two SUVs for us so we could meet up with the tour buses and trucks with our stage. Bella was still in my adoptive mother’s arms, clinging to her. Emmett grabbed our bags and put them into the SUV while I tried to extricate my wife from my mom. “ _Cantante_ ,” I whispered, kissing Bella’s head. “Time to go.”

“If you need anything, Bella, just call me. I’m here for you. Any time, any day,” Esme promised. “I know that you’re terrified right now, but everything will be okay.”

“Thank you, Esme,” Bella smiled, taking my mom’s hands. “I love you!”

“I love you, too, sweetling,” Esme said, kissing Bella’s cheek. Turning to me, she ruffled my hair. “I love you, too, Edward. You take care of her. Promise me?”

“I always will, Mom,” I said, hugging her tightly. “Thank you for letting us stay with you.”

“Even though you have a house in Los Angeles, Chicago and here in Albany, this is still your home, Edward Anthony,” Esme chided, poking my sides. “Be safe and call me when you get settled in Philadelphia.”

“We will. Thank you for the goodies for the bus,” Bella said, “and for just being an awesome mom.” Esme hugged my wife again and I had to begrudgingly drag her away. Kellan was tapping his watch impatiently. We clambered into the waiting SUVs and drove back to the Union Center. Loading up on the bus, Bella and I settled on the couch. Kellan came onto our bus. “What’s up, Kellan?” Bella asked. “You riding with us?”

“Yep. I need some time away from Emmett. Jasper, Nia and Ainsley are hanging out with him in their bus,” Kellan snickered, sitting down. “I also wanted to check on you guys. Are you both okay with the performance and what happened last night?”

“I don’t think we’re okay with happened last night, but it begs the question, will it happen again?” I asked. “Was it a glitch or deliberate?”

“We’re in contact with Wells Fargo Center and the Philadelphia Police Department. There is going to be extra security there, along with the Pandora folks,” Kellan said, kicking back at the table. “Oh, I also want to talk about the set tonight for that radio station and meet and greet. They want it to be about an hour or so. How long was the set from Boston?”

“Less than that,” Bella answered, taking out her computer and pulling up the set list. “About thirty-five to forty minutes. So, we need to add about five more songs, Edward. What do you want to do?”

I looked at the set list and most of the songs were from our second album. “Why don’t we use five pieces from our first self-titled album and then our arrangement of ‘Decode’?”

“Obviously, ‘La Cantante,’ ‘Shattered,’ and what else?” Bella asked, typing on her laptop.

“I think you should add ‘Eternally’,” Kellan chimed in. “I love that song.”

“Oh, and ‘Steps’,” Bella smiled. “Emmett does this cool thing with his cajon. Those four plus ‘Decode’ should give us an hour of music.” She finished typing that out and sent it to Emmett and Jasper, carbon copying Kellan on the email. “Now, have you talked to Lou? Did you get a chance to further investigate those alleged mishaps?”

“The drum head was faulty. Both Lou, Timmy and Mark, who is the drummer who filled in for Timmy when he played for you, said that the skin was too thin and not attached properly. We already have a brand new drum set being delivered to the arena in Philly. We’re using a different company with a better reputation,” Kellan said. “The lights, that was just a fluke. It wasn’t any sort of sabotage. We just overloaded the system with our lighting, sound and craziness. The same thing happened to Bon Jovi a couple of weeks ago. The Union Center is going to get a brand new electrical system since we’re the second group that had these issues.”

“I’m still leery,” Bella grumbled, curling into my body. “Too coincidental, you know?”

“If these issues continue, we’ll get to the bottom of them,” Kellan promised. “For now, we’ve got a show to put on and we have to rely on the stage crew, Lou and the security teams.”

“Lou, I trust. Same with Pandora, but these stage crew guys, I don’t know all of them,” I growled. “And what about the new guys?”

“I’ll get the background checks from Twilight if it’ll put your minds at ease,” Kellan said, tapping on his phone. “I just emailed Jared and hopefully we’ll get the information before we arrive in Philadelphia.”

We watched movie after that. Bella dosed, her head on my lap as Kellan and I were entranced by _Interstellar_. The bus stopped two hours into our trip because we needed gas and it gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs and purchase some goodies at the convenience store. I was jonesing for some Cheetos, my one vice. Well, that and very expensive scotch, but they don’t sell that a Circle K. After filling up the gas tank, Bella and I went back into the back bedroom while Kellan moved to the other bus. We curled up on the queen sized bed, after sharing my bag of chips. “How do you feel about Kellan’s investigation, beautiful?” I asked, my hand laying on her hip and slipping underneath her t-shirt.

“Okay, I guess,” she shrugged. “I mean, I’m on edge because of the letters and such, but I’m looking for things to go wrong. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to fall. You know?”

“With that attitude, nothing good can happen,” I said, sliding my hand up her supple skin and pulling her closer to me, my fingers gliding along her back, just below her bra. “I think you need to be distracted, Bella.”

“And what kind of distraction would that be, Edward?” she cooed, her eyes darkening and she licked her lips.

“I want to fuck you,” I whispered to her, flicking her bra open with my hand.

“What if I want to fuck you?” she countered, sitting up and removing her shirt and bra at the same time. She straddled my hips, cupping her breasts, rocking over me.

“We have time. We can both fuck each other,” I growled, twining my hands into her hair and kissing her deeply. She moaned, her arms tugging on my shirt. I threw it off my body, moving back to press my mouth to hers. Our tongues slid within each other, tasting and teasing our mouths. My palms cupped her breasts, squeezing them and twisting her nipple ring.

“Fuck, baby,” she whimpered. “Your hands on me … I can’t get enough. I always want your hands on me, touching me, loving me.”

“I’ll never stop,” I murmured, kissing down her neck and wrapping my lips around her dusty pink nipple. I flicked it, suckling on it to make it hard. She writhed above me, leaning back and rolling her hips over me. Kissing across her chest, I tugged on her nipple ring as my other hand cupped her ass. She let out a guttural groan, biting her lips and looking down at me. “You’re so fucking gorgeous, Bella.”

“So are you,” she murmured. “I need you, Edward. Distract me …”

With a carnal grin, I rolled her so she was on her back. She squealed, laughing as I hovered over her, rubbing my cock between her legs. “Not before I bury my tongue inside of your pussy, Bella. You know I can’t live without it.”

“What are you waiting for?” she purred, shimmying out of her leggings and tossing them over the side of the bed. Her taut, pale legs were spread and her bare pussy was pink, swollen and glistening for me. I sat back, spreading her legs further and stared at her, seeing how aroused she was. “Do I need to take care of things?” she quipped, her fingers running through her dripping folds.

“No. I’m just admiring this wet, needy pussy,” I said lowly, moving her hand and sliding two fingers inside of her. I braced my other hand near her head as I slowly thrust them in and out. Bella whimpered, rocking with my hand. “Do you like when my fingers fuck you? When I’m inside you?”

“Yes,” she panted, trying to kiss me. I stayed away. I wanted to watch her as she squirmed, pleaded and begged for her release. “Kiss me, Edward.”

“After I give you your first orgasm of the day, beautiful,” I replied, keeping my eyes on her. Curling my fingers inside, I felt that spongy spot that could make her so wet. Bella whimpered, her legs opening further and arching her back to display her perfect tits. “You’re so soft inside, Bella. I can feel how wet I make you. Your pussy is clinging to my fingers, needing to come. I want you to come. I want you to fucking cover me with your cum.” With my thumb, I circled her clit and lightly abraded it with my thumb. Bella’s whimpers turned into moans and grunts as she rode my hand. I slid another finger inside of her, continuing my assault to her sex.

“Edward,” she panted, her pale skin flushing the most glorious shade of pink. “Kiss me! Please! I need to feel your tongue, your mouth.” Her hands cupped her breasts, continuing to constantly move with each of my thrusts. “Fuck, baby! I’m so close.”

“I know, my love,” I purred, keeping my eyes on her. My hand was covered with her arousal and I couldn’t wait until it was my dick. Seeing her wetness on me made me so proud, but nothing was better when I tasted her after we’d made love and I tasted _us._ I kissed down her body and sat back, using my other hand to pinch and toy with her clit as my other hand moved faster inside her, harder and deeper than before. Her entire body quaked, her breasts bouncing with each movement of my hand. “You’re holding back, Bella. Come for me.”

“Hmmmm,” she moaned gutturally, repeating that as her hips moved in concert with my hands. Her palms slapped down on the bed and she threw her head back, panting heavily as the muscles between her legs began to tighten around my fingers. Moving my hands faster, I could feel her wetness drip down my palms. I watched with rapt attention as her hips rolled sinuously with each thrust of my fingers. “Edward … fuck!” she gasped, grasping the comforter as my hand was pushed out of her along with very wet release. I played with her clit, encouraging her orgasm to last longer. She collapsed on the bed, her breathing erratic. Her pussy lips were swollen and still glistening from her arousal. I slid off my shorts, kissing up her body and cupped her cheek, brushing my lips against hers. “You can play me better than any instrument, handsome.”

“And I’m not done, baby,” I purred, settling behind her and lifting her leg and easing my throbbing cock into her swollen folds. She whimpered, staring into my eyes, with love and devotion swimming in her espresso-colored orbs. “Feel every inch of me, Bella. Every part of my body adores you.” Bella’s back was pressed to my chest as I easily slid in and out. We kissed, our mouths tangling as we made love. I pulled back, staring into her eyes. “I want to feel you come again, Bella.”

“Touch me,” she breathed, guiding my hand that was holding her leg to her swollen clit. “Feel where we’re one, baby.”

“Fuck, I wish I could be inside you all of the time, Bella,” I said, circling her clit as my hips rocked, filling her so deeply. She sighed, taking my other hand and together, we cupped her breast. I sucked and nibbled on her neck, pushing deeper inside. Bella pushed back her body against mine, needing more of me.

“Edward,” she breathed, her eyes rheumy and her body slick with sweat. “Harder. Please, baby. I need to feel all of you. Come inside me. Fill me with your cum.”

I growled against her sweet skin, thrusting harder, deeper and faster inside of her. The sounds of our labored breathing filled the tiny bedroom, along with our skin slapping together. It was the most erotic soundtrack to our lovemaking. Outside, the world blurred by, seemingly unaware of our compromising position as I slammed my cock inside of my gorgeous, sexy wife. Her body was open to me, on display so we could both find our euphoric pleasure. She gasped, arching back and moving her hips with mine. “That’s it, baby. Milk my cock,” I panted. “Don’t let go of me, Bella. I want to come so deep inside you.”

“Yes,” she breathed, her hand gripping my side. “Yes! Just like that. Right there, Edward!” I grunted, filling her and losing all of cognitive thought as her silken walls tightened around me. All that mattered was we shared one body, combining our souls and love. “Oh, shit! I’m … don’t stop! Please, don’t stop.”

“Never,” I panted, circling her clit as my balls tightened and my cock swelled deep within her. She was sobbing as her body began to shake, her mouth hanging open as her tits bounced from the force of my thrusts. “Oh, Bella. I’m so fucking close. I need to come, Bella.”

“Now! Come now!” she cried, her pussy clenching around me, almost painfully. I groaned as streams of my release filled her, coating her inside. My inner caveman smiled, knowing that we’d claimed her. My thrusting slowed and we both collapsed. I kept my hand on her clit, idly playing with it as she twitched with tiny aftershocks from her orgasm. “Hmmmm, that never gets old. But, I miss tasting you, Edward. You never let me give you a blow job.”

“I’m selfish. I only want your pleasure,” I cooed, nuzzling her neck. She wriggled out of my arms and pushed me onto my back. My cock was still somewhat hard, covered in both my release and hers. “Bella?”

“You always get so turned on when you lick my pussy after we make love,” she purred, staring at my arousal. “I want my taste.”

“If you get one, then so do I,” I growled, moving her so her legs were on either side of my head. I spread her pussy lips, moaning quietly as I saw my release drip down her folds. She whimpered before her tongue circled my cock. I was very sensitive and the warmth of her mouth made me growl. Lifting my face, I licked her sex, tasting both of us. Her pussy was swollen, pink and fucking perfect. I devoured her, tasting every inch of her. Bella was just as eager to suck my cock, making me hard again. As I licked her clit, I spread my release over her and eased my middle finger into her ass. Her responding moan reverberated in me as she gripped my thighs with her hands. I slurped, licked, bit and lost myself in my wife as my finger moved in and out of her rosette. We’d never crossed that bridge into anal sex, but when I have played with her, the orgasms she has are quite messy and she’s quite loud.

_I wonder …_

Ten minutes later, we both were coming again and I was exhausted from two consecutive orgasms. Bella rolled off the side of me, her entire frame shuddering as her body experienced the pleasure that I’d given her. “Now I know why you like licking my pussy after we fuck,” she said, running her hands along her lithe body. “We taste good together.”

“Hmmmm, we do,” I said, running my fingers along her torso and circling them around her breasts. “Nothing tastes as good as you, though.”

“We are fucking nymphomaniacs,” Bella giggled, moving so she could kiss me. “I mean, we spent over an hour making love and fucking each other into oblivion.”

“And this is a bad thing?” I chuckled. I pulled her into my arms and dragged up the duvet cover that had fallen on the floor. “I always want to make love to you, Bella. I’m perpetually hard. You’re like a drug that I can’t get enough of.”

“I agree,” she purred, nipping at my lips and sliding her hands down to cup my ass. “And I really like what you do when your mouth is on me.” Her fingers squeezed my ass and I arched a brow.

“When I slide a well-lubed finger back there?” I asked, hitching her leg over my hip. She blushed, nodding and moved closer to me, rolling her body over me and pressing her bare pussy to my stomach. “Would you want to try that, baby?”

“Only with you,” she murmured, her eyes twinkling with lust, promise and devotion. “I gave you my virginity and now I want to give you something else.”

“I wished I’d waited for you, _cantante_ ,” I whispered, my hands dancing along her body. “I can give you that. You’d be the only woman that I’d do that to. I would like to try, too. But, we’ll need to do some research.”

“I can imagine, but for now, I just want my husband to make love to me,” she cooed, pulling my mouth to hers and we were lost in each other for the rest of the drive to Philadelphia, touching, caressing, loving and coming.

xx LMDC xx

“Ugh, don’t you own air freshener?” Emmett grumbled, waving his hands crazily. “The entire fucking bus smells like sex.”

“It does not,” Bella snapped. “You’re full of shit.”

“No, he isn’t. He stopped up our bus’s toilet,” Jasper groaned. “That’s why we’re in the ‘Den of Sin on Wheels.’ Frank is taking the bus to get the shitter cleaned out because of Emmett’s ginormous turds. Though, it does have a certain _tang_ to the air. Did you guys fuck all the way down from Albany?”

“And if we did, it’s our business,” I said, sitting down next to Bella.

“You know what? Our sex lives are none of your concern,” Bella sneered. “If Edward wants to fuck me until I can’t walk, it’s our prerogative. We don’t need any comments from the peanut gallery. Don’t get me started on the nastiness that grew underneath Emmett’s bed when he was a kid and Jasper, I’m certain that Alice or Nia can spill the beans about some embarrassing moment in your life. So, can it!”

I chuckled, kissing behind Bella’s ear and murmuring, “I love you, Mrs. Cullen. Perhaps, we can work on that not walking thing tonight.”

“Don’t tempt me,” she purred, moving to sit on my lap.

We spent the afternoon, wandering around Philadelphia. Bella and I spent the afternoon at the Wellington Square Bookshop. We bought a slew of books and curled up in one of the various corners, reading, eating some scones, drinking coffee and just relaxing. It was a perfect day. Granted, we were disguised so we could maintain our anonymity, but I loved every second of it, lost in the prose of our books and just _being._

If we could, I would have loved to stay there until we had to go to our hotel, but we had an acoustic performance at World Café Live. It was a private, invite-only party for a couple of local radio stations. Bella looked like a goddess, wearing a chiffon blue dress. Her hair was curled and pinned half back, displaying a pair of earrings that matched the dress. On her fingers, she wore her wedding band and the new ring I’d bought for her in Montreal. I gave it to her after our third round of making love on the bus, saying I only wanted to see her in the diamonds I bought her.

“Okay, we have our set list,” Kellan said as he pulled it up on his phone. “Ryan and Max took a look around and we’re in the clear when it comes to security. Ainsley and Greg are staying at the Wells Fargo Center, making sure that no creepy characters try to sneak onto our stage and wreak havoc. Tonight, there will be fans and photographers. Not to mention alcohol.” He shot a look at Emmett.

“I’ll behave. I swear!” Emmett said, holding up his hands.

Kellan narrowed his eyes, pointing at Emmett. “Anyway, this is a big deal because there are several radio stations represented. Sign autographs, take pictures, talk to your fans.”

“So, be awesome,” Jasper smirked, his arm behind Nia.

“Essentially, yes. Watch your language and easy on the PDA, porn stars,” Kellan snorted, looking at me and Bella.

“We can keep our hands to ourselves, you ass,” Bella laughed.

“And it does stink in here,” Kellan said, smirking at the both of us. “If only I wasn’t a born again virgin, I might be jealous. Oh, wait. I am.” Rolling his eyes, he got up and talked to the bus driver, who was pulling in behind the club.

“Are we ready to kick some ass?” I asked, looking at my family.

“I am. I can’t wait to perform here. I wanted to when we were at Penn State during our first mini-tour,” Jasper nodded. “This place has amazing acoustics.”

“And they’re filming it, too,” Nia chirped.

“They’re what?” Bella squeaked.

“Yeah, it’s for VH1’s _Behind the Music_ series or MTV’s revamp of _Unplugged._ There will be cameras in there,” Nia said. “I thought you knew that. I sent out the reminder before we left Montreal.”

“No, you didn’t,” I said, pulling out my phone and scrolling through my emails. All of us pulled out our phones and there was no email or text from Nia.

“It was programmed to be automatically sent out,” Nia growled, pulling out her phone and checking her email. “Well, shit. No wonder it didn’t send. It’s scheduled to go in 2017, not 2016. My bad. I’m sorry, guys.”

“Well, we just do what we normally do, but in front of cameras,” Bella said. “Alice, I need you to darken up my makeup if we’re going to be broadcasting.”

“I’ll fix it once we get inside,” Alice said. “I’m thinking we’ll go with a darker pink lip and smokier eyes.” Bella sighed, nodding in agreement. Once the bus stopped, we got out and went into the green room of the venue. Alice and Nia attacked Bella, making her look sexier. Then, they turned to us and powdered our faces, to reduce shine. I ended up inhaling most of my powder and hacked up a lung.

The set was exactly an hour long. We performed in front of a packed house, using piano, acoustic guitar, an upright bass and various percussion instruments, including Emmett’s cajon, a few congas and a random vibraslap. Jasper was right about the acoustics. It made our harmonies sound amazing, blending them tightly and making us sound even better. However, the most amazing part of the night was when I sat down at the piano, completely winging it and doing a slower, more romantic version of “La Musica del Cuore.” Bella was almost in tears as she sat next to me, lost in my almost operatic arrangement with its romantic qualities.

When the performance ended, the sound crew removed our microphones and ear protection. We went and spent the next couple of hours with our fans, talking, taking pictures and signing autographs. There were a number of Twilight executives there, along with the president of the radio stations we were performing for. Just before we were getting ready to go, one of the morning radio hosts, Erick, came over to us. “Hey guys, you sounded amazing,” he breathed.

“Thank you,” Bella beamed. “This theater is awesome to perform in. The acoustics were phenomenal.”

“They’re better than the acoustics for tomorrow,” he chuckled. I arched a brow. “The band we made arrangements to play for our annual golf outing backed out. The lead singer is going in for surgery for some damage to his vocal cords. We just found out today that they had to cancel. We’re stuck without a band for this huge charity event.”

“What’s the event for?” I asked.

“Alex’s Lemonade, which is a foundation for kids who have or had cancer,” Erick explained. “The golf outing is nothing but fun, games and craziness. We do need a big-name band to perform.”

“What time does the event start?” Bella questioned, smiling sweetly at Erick. He was becoming entranced by wife’s beauty.

“The first tee time is at eight, but our crew will be setting up around five. You won’t have to be there until eight, maybe a few minutes before. You just need to play for fifteen – twenty minutes at the beginning and again at the end of the event as we announce the winners, or rather, the losers. The people with the most strokes win,” Erick laughed. “You can even golf!”

“Keep in mind we have our performance at eight tomorrow night and we have to do sound checks and such,” Bella said.

“You’ll be done in time to even take a nap,” Erick pleaded. “It would mean the world to us and for all of the kids associated with Alex’s Lemonade.”

“We’ll be there and will match the donations to Alex’s Lemonade that are made tomorrow,” Bella replied, hugging Erick. “It sounds like fun. I might actually win because I suck at golf!”

“It’ll give me a chance to wear my pink plaid shorts,” Jasper snickered, rubbing his hands together. “Alice and Nia refuse to let me wear those out in public. Now, it’s required. You have to wear bad, ugly clothes when on the golf course. Will the people have issues with tattoos? And what about fedoras?”

“Jas, you and your damned fedoras,” Emmett grumbled. “That went out of style _years_ ago.”

“No,” Erick laughed. “I’ll talk to Kellan about the location and we’ll send a limo for you. The set-up from tonight, minus the string bass, will be what you’re using.”

“So, I’ll have to bring my bass?” Jasper asked. Erick nodded. “Cool. I’m cool.”

“Thank you so much for stepping in,” Erick said, shaking my hand and hugging Bella once more. “We’ll see you tomorrow.” He left and we went out through the back entrance with Ryan and Max accompanying us.

“I’ve never golfed,” Emmett said. “What do you do?”

“You are just driving the cart, Emmett. You might get a little frustrated at hitting a little tiny ball into a little tiny hole,” Bella teased.

“It’s amazing,” Jasper smiled. “I went with my gramps and he was the fucking bomb at golf. Granted, the closest golf course was in Austin, but we went every month or so until he died. I haven’t really played since.”

“I’ve gone out with my dad and Senior. I’m not good at all,” I chuckled. We all got into the bus, which still smelled like sex and gave Bella and I a subtle reminder of our physical love for each other. “It doesn’t matter if we win or lose, it’s for a good cause. Thank you, Bella, for agreeing to it for us.”

“I think it’ll be a nice reprieve from all of the traveling. I want to get some sun!” she laughed. “Casper, the friendly ghost is coming back with a vengeance!”

xx LMDC xx

The golf outing and the Philadelphia show were amazing, but we were worn out. When we left for Pittsburgh, we all just crashed in our buses. Bella was also struggling with some vocal fatigue and was not speaking until our concert at the Consol Energy Center. I was just physically exhausted. With all of the love making, plus three performances over the course of two days, I just wanted to soak in a hot tub and chill.

So, that’s what we did. Bella and I spent most of the day sleeping in the hotel suite we were staying in, only getting up to languish in the massively huge shower or to eat food. After nearly twenty-four hours of sleep, rest and quiet, we both felt infinitely better and were ready to face our next performance. We were almost done with our first leg of our tour. We had to perform at Pittsburgh and then we had a charity concert in Cleveland, performing with the inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We were performing with Cheap Trick and I was a nervous, anxious mess to perform with those living legends.

Once we were done with that charity concert, we were taking a few days off to recuperate and celebrate my birthday. I was turning twenty-seven and Bella, as usual, wanted to throw some big to-do to celebrate my birth. I was just looking forward to six days without traveling and being able to sleep in my own bed, with my wife. We were planning on spending my birthday in New York and I was counting the minutes until we had that time off.

In the bowels of the Consol Energy Center, we were beginning to do our prayers as the Cliff Hangers finished up their opening set. Bella shivered next to me. “You okay, Bella?” I asked, rubbing my hand along her back. She was wearing a bright pink, sleeveless top that left little to the imagination. I could clearly see her nipple ring through the sheer fabric. She also wore a tight, denim pencil skirt, with a pair of matching booties. She looked sexy, but I thought it was too revealing for a show.

“Sorry,” she said, snuggling into my arms. “Just a chill. Creepy crawly. I don’t know.” I enfolded her into my embrace, resting my cheek on her sleek, straight hair. “I’m fine. This helps.”

“Five minutes, guys,” called one of the stage crew.

“Thanks,” I responded. “Are we ready to rock?”

“Did you just say that?” Jasper snickered.

“I did and I’d like an answer,” I smirked, arching a brow at him.

“You are such a nerd, Edward,” Bella giggled, kissing my scruffy chin. “But, I love you. And yes, I’m ready to rock.” Her eyes were hooded and I knew that reply was loaded with sexual innuendo. I was definitely planning on rocking her world tonight, reclaiming her with my body, heart and soul.

“What about the rest of you bozos?” I replied.

“Sure, sure,” Emmett said, punching my shoulder. “Let’s rock this house.”

“And party all night long,” Jasper deadpanned. We shared a laugh and went up to the stage, listening to the last song by the Cliff Hangers. Their set ended and we all scrambled onto the stage as the intro music began. The show whizzed by and from what I remember, the audience enjoyed it and we were solid and confident. Bella was especially amazing, flirting and making musical love to me all night. I almost forgotten about her sheer shirt, but when I saw the subtle shine from her nipple ring, I was reminded that I had to kick Alice’s ass for not putting pasties on her at least.

We finished our encore and went down into our respective dressing rooms, to change into our street clothes. On the counter, there was a large bouquet of hydrangeas. It filled the room with an overwhelming scent and it made my wife jump back into my arms. “Don’t touch it,” I said, rubbing Bella’s sides.

“I thought that they’d forgotten about us,” Bella whispered, tears streaming down her face.

I hugged her, moving her back out of the room and shouting for Kellan, Ryan and Max. They came barreling in with the head of security from the Consol Energy Center. “Who had access to these rooms?” I snarled. “I thought we agreed that no one could be down here while we were performing!”

“We did!” Kellan barked, glaring at the head of security, a brute of a guy named Manny.

“No one came in or out of these areas, Mr. Moore,” Manny said. “It was cordoned off and we had security at each vantage point.”

“Obviously not, if there’s flowers in our dressing room,” Bella snapped.

“They’re beautiful. Why are you freaking out over flowers?” Manny growled, giving my wife a harsh look.

“I don’t want my fists make intimate contact with your face, asshole,” Emmett said, putting a heavy hand on Manny’s shoulder. “This is not Bella’s fault and surely you were briefed about the situation we have surrounding Edward and Bella. There’s some stalker on the loose, threatening them!”

“Um … uh, well?” Manny mumbled, squinting his eyes. “I got the preliminary report, but I didn’t read it. I just discussed the security measures with the Pandora team, agreeing to their adjustments and not the reasoning behind it.”

Kellan narrowed his eyes and his fists clenched into tight balls. Alice walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and he minutely calmed, but his voice was as cold as ice. “Your boss will be hearing from our attorneys,” he hissed. “There was an obvious security breach because you couldn’t bother to read the necessary information to keep my band safe. Ryan, escort this asshole out of here before I use him as a punching bag.”

Ryan cracked his knuckles, dragging Manny away from our cluster of very nervous people. Max went into the dressing room, donning latex gloves and rooting around in the flowers, finding an envelope addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. He opened it, finding one word on the white business card. “Heartlessness,” he said, flipping it over. “You guys get out of here and I’ll deal with the cops. We’ll sweep the room for bugs and check for prints.” He took out his phone and sent a text to Ainsley and Greg, supposedly. “I just sent Greg to check your rooms and Ainsley will be waiting at the buses.”

“Thank you, Max,” Bella said woodenly.

“It’s my pleasure, Miss Bella,” he smiled. “We’ll get to the bottom of this and we’ll definitely handle Manny’s incompetence.” He grumbled as he went back into our dressing room. The rest of us went up to our tour buses. Bella went directly into the bathroom and I heard the shower start. She was probably losing it, crying and feeling lost. I wanted nothing more than to join her, but Kellan, Emmett and Jasper wanted to discuss our safety and how we could be an active participant in maintaining it.

xx LMDC xx

Guns.

That was Kellan, Ryan and Max’s suggestion. They wanted us all to be certified to carry concealed weapons. Bella already had a concealed weapon license in California and Washington State, thanks to an overprotective Charlie. We just needed to get that to be accepted wherever we traveled.

Emmett also had a concealed weapon license, but he didn’t feel comfortable shooting. He hadn’t been to a gun range in years and he’d rather pummel someone to death with his fists than with a pistol.

So, in Cleveland, we made arrangements to get tested and fitted for guns at a local gun range that was run by a friend of Charlie’s named Buddy. We pulled up to Select Fire in Berea, Ohio. We were all dressed casually and ready for our instruction. Bella had her 9mm Glock in a case, along with several clips. Kellan, Jasper and I were going to be purchasing, or beginning the process to purchase a gun today. Emmett was adamant on not purchasing a gun. Walking inside, we met up with Buddy. He shook hands with all of us and led us to a gun case.

“I spoke with Charlie and he told me what was going on. I’ve managed to expedite the waiting period due to the lingering threat over your heads,” Buddy explained. “Now, your best bet is …”  He began prattling off information about the various guns, how to care for them, their uses and what kind of ammo each used. Jasper picked up a Ruger 9mm handgun, while I reached for a Sig Sauer. Kellan was eyeing a Desert Eagle, but ended up grabbing another type of Sig.

Buddy showed us how to disassemble the gun to clean it. Bella worked with us and we were able to disassemble and reassemble the guns within an hour. After Buddy was pleased with that, he took us the shooting range. He showed us how to load each of our weapons and to prepare it for shooting. Even though Emmett wasn’t using a gun, he proved to be an amazing teacher and helped us prepare for what was to come with the actual shooting of the guns.

Bella started first. Her gun was on the counter of the shooting range as Buddy set up the paper target. She put on her ear protection and glasses, raising her gun smoothly. She was downright deadly with her weapon, shooting the target squarely in the chest and in the head. She beamed, putting her down her weapon and walking away. Jasper was next. He was all over the place, but he was trying to show off, using one arm and acting like one of those movie stars in the horrible cop films. Buddy worked with him and by the end of his lesson, he was able to shoot straight, but he didn’t have the aim that my wife did.

Kellan went after Jasper and he was a natural. Buddy even encouraged him to try the Desert Eagle he was eyeing. He liked that much better, recovering from the kickback easily and beaming as he obliterated the paper target man. I was last and I hated that I had to even consider a gun. Buddy instructed me, showing me how to hold the weapon and how to aim. Putting on my ear protection, I raised the gun. Narrowing my eyes, I imagined a faceless, nameless foe and I wanted to make him pay for what he was doing to me and my wife. Releasing the safety, I pressed my finger on the trigger, shooting at the enemy. When I emptied my clip, I lowered the gun and gripped the counter. Bella walked over to me, her hands wrapping around my waist. I tore off my ear protection, clinging to her trembling body. “I’ll protect you, _cantante_. I promise,” I whispered against her soft hair.

“Well, shit,” Buddy chuckled. “You’re better than Bella, Edward. You have such control over your weapon, it was like an extension of your arms.” I turned and he held up Bella’s target next to mine. Bella’s gun shots were close, but mine were practically on top of each other. “Remind me never to meet you in a back alley, Edward.”

“Hopefully, I’ll never have to use this newfound skill,” I said, keeping Bella in my arms. “But, it’s good to know that I’m capable of protecting her.”

“I’ll leave you all some time to get comfortable with your weapons,” Buddy said. “You have the place for the rest of the afternoon. If you want to try something different, just dial zero on the phone and I’ll bring it to you.”

We thanked Buddy and spent the next couple of hours getting used to the handguns. Bella was the most comfortable and helped out, just like Emmett. Jasper needed the most assistance, but by the time we left, he was an adequate shot. Paying for our guns, ammunition and cleaning supplies, we got onto the bus and drove to the hotel near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Upon our arrival, we used one of the private dining rooms in the hotel and met up with the Pandora security team to discuss what they discovered regarding the flowers and our plan for when we went out in public.

“Okay, so we worked with the Pittsburgh police department,” Ryan began. “There were no prints on the card or in the room besides Bella and Edward. So, that was a dead end.”

“How were the flowers delivered?” Bella asked, her fingers threaded with mine. “They didn’t magically teleport into the room, Ryan.”

“No, they didn’t. The flowers were delivered by someone who slipped past the security check points at the Consol Energy Center,” Ryan growled. “There was a breach in the northeast corner when one of the security people stepped away to go to the bathroom and the other dealt with a scuffle halfway down the midway. Someone slipped into an employee’s only entrance, moving to your dressing room. Their face was covered by the bouquet, but we can discern that the delivery person was a man.”

“Height? Weight?” Emmett snapped.

“A little taller than Jasper, but a medium build,” Ryan answered, tossing a picture toward Bella’s brother. We all looked at it and couldn’t distinguish much since his face was covered by a hat and the obnoxiously large bouquet.

“Is that a tattoo?” Bella asked, pointing to his arm.

Ryan picked up the picture, examining it closely. “We thought it was just a discrepancy in the photo, but it could be a tattoo. So, a white male with a medium build and a tattoo on his upper right arm,” he nodded. “Nice catch, Miss Bella.”

“Thank you,” she blushed, leaning her cheek on my own bicep. “Now, what about us using these guns and such.”

“Obviously, we’d rather you leave the shooting to the professionals,” Max snickered. “But, we don’t want you to be unprotected. I know that Bella and Emmett have concealed weapons licenses. We’re working on getting licenses for the rest of you. For now, here are your FOID cards, courtesy of Buddy. If, for any reason, you need to go somewhere and we are not nearby …”

“Like we’re doing an inspection of a venue or checking the hotel,” Ainsley said, explaining Max’s reasoning.

“Right,” Max smiled. “You need to take your handguns with you. Bella, keep it in a purse or use this.” He slid a thigh holster to her. “Wear it underneath a skirt. Gentlemen, we’re getting you shoulder holsters and back holsters, so it could be hidden under a t-shirt. Also, with further discussion with Jared and Kellan, we’re going to be calling up four other members of the Pandora team to assist us. They’ll join us during the second leg of the tour, joining us in Baltimore. For now, I’ll be exclusively with Bella and Edward and Greg will be trailing Jasper and Emmett.”

“What about Nia and Alice?” I asked. “They’re just as recognizable as the band.”

“And Kellan, too,” Bella murmured.

“Whomever they are with will be their bodyguard. So, if Alice is working with Bella, then she’ll work with Max,” Ryan said. “Ainsley and I will be responsible for coordinating with the security teams at the various venues and performances.” He reached into his pocket, producing a handful of cards. “These are our cell phone numbers. If you call one of us, the other three will also receive a text, indicating that you’re in distress. Also, I think it would behoove all of you to go through some self-defense training. I know that you’re going to be on hiatus after this performance, spending time with your families, but one day can make a huge difference.”

“Whatever we need to do,” Kellan nodded. “The safety of these guys is paramount.”

“Agreed,” Ryan replied, giving a curt nod. “Tomorrow’s performance, however, is going to be a challenge. There are too many artists and opportunities for something to go wrong. We’re relying on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame people to handle the venue security. We’re all going to be assigned to one of you, just for our sanity’s sake. I’m working with Bella.”

“Good,” I breathed. “If I can’t be by her side … I want you since you’re freaking huge.”

“We’re freaking huge. Well, everyone except Ainsley,” Max teased.

“Do I need to remind you of the last time I kicked your ass? Your balls were up near your fucking navel, you moron,” Ainsley said, cuffing him upside the head. “I might be small, but I’m mighty. And I wield a Taser.” She pulled out a large gun-like contraption, waggling her eyebrows. “I’ll be with Emmett. So, make sure you’re not in the way of my Taser. I don’t want to tase your ass.”

“Got it,” Emmett laughed.

“I’m with Edward,” Max said, clenching his jaw. “And Greg will be with Jasper.”

“What will you do while we’re on stage?” Bella asked.

“Stand on the wings. It’s already been preapproved,” Ryan said. “Now, are there any other questions?”

After eating dinner and discussing some other minute details, we all went up to our rooms. Bella was quiet and twisting her new ring anxiously. “You okay, beautiful?” I asked.

“I’m fine. I mean, we’ve got some amazing support with the Pandora security team, but I can’t help but worry about our upcoming events. Will we have more instances like we did in Pittsburgh?” she asked. “Someone breaching security?” She furrowed her brows and sat down on the bed. “They’re delivering flowers now, but what if those flowers have explosives or worse?”

I took my wife into my arms and held her tightly. She gripped my t-shirt and shuddered. “I pray that it won’t come to that, Bella. We have to think positively and not focus on the negative.”

“I’m trying,” she whispered, snuggling closer to me.

If only I believed what I was saying because her fear of the stalker escalating was now in the forefront of my mind. What if he did bring in explosives?

What then?

_Oh, God._

**A/N: How did you like that glass of lemonade? Bella and Edward were just insane for each other. Anyhow, the stalker is proving to be more of a pain in the ass than originally anticipated. What will happen next?**

**Well, I can tell you what will happen next chapter … finish up our performance for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame charity concert (completely made up, it doesn’t exist. I took creative license with that one). Also, we’re going back to New York to spend time with Edward and his family to celebrate his birthday. Will they get a huge serving of lemonade? I think so … it’ll be so good that it could be classified as limoncello (Italian lemonade with vodka). Yummo! Leave me some!**

**Oh, and pictures of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the shooting range are on my blog. You can find a link for that on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and twitter, too. Thanks for reading, kids! MWAH!**


	10. Happy Birthday, Mr. Cullen

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Well, I can tell you what will happen next chapter … finish up our performance for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame charity concert (completely made up, it doesn’t exist. I took creative license with that one). Also, we’re going back to New York to spend time with Edward and his family to celebrate his birthday. Will they get a huge serving of lemonade? I think so … it’ll be so good that it could be classified as limoncello (Italian lemonade with vodka). Yummo!**

**Chapter Ten: Happy Birthday, Mr. Cullen**

**BPOV**

I was totally having a fangirl moment. I performed on stage with Cheap Trick. Holy fucking God! Breaking Midnight performed at this amazing charity concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and I sang a duet with Robin Zander. We fucking harmonized, shared the same microphone.

Holy shit!

Now, while I was having a fangirl moment, my husband was about to have a brain aneurysm because Robin Zander, who was old enough to be my grandfather, was flirting with me. It was cute, in a pervy sort of way, but it made Edward very, very jealous. Once we were done performing, we took a photo with Cheap Trick and then Edward kissed the shit out of me, wanting to claim me in front of Robin and the rest of the band. With a smirk, Robin gave Edward a thumbs up and left. I was in a complete daze because of my husband’s incredibly strong lips. He had to guide me back to the tour bus since I was too stunned to function.

Back at the buses, Kellan waited for us with the itinerary for our departure. “Okay, everyone,” he said in our tour bus. “The Twilight jet is leaving an hour or so, flying to the Albany airport. I’ve arranged for transportation for all of you to go back to your homes in New York. Let me make sure I have that correct. Obviously, Bella and Edward, you’re going to your home.”

“Yes, sir,” Edward nodded, holding me on his lap.

“Jasper and Nia, you’re staying at a rental near Bella and Edward,” Kellan confirmed. They both nodded. “Emmett, you’re staying with Esme and Carlisle?”

“Yep. Esme said she wanted to mother me,” Emmett chuckled. “I’m not going to say no and I’m not about to stay with the porn stars over there.” Emmett pointed to me and Edward.

“Hey,” I growled. “Our sex lives are _none_ of your business Emmett McCarty Swan!”

“They become my business when you guys can’t keep your paws off each other,” Emmett smirked. I flipped him off and Edward just nuzzled my neck.

“Alice, you’re staying at your townhouse in Albany?” Kellan asked.

“I am,” she chirped. “What about you?”

“I’ve got a hotel room lined up,” he said. “Now, if you want to change, shower or whatever, go ahead. But, be ready to go in a half hour.” With that, he got up and we all scattered. Alice followed him and I bit back a laugh.

“I can’t wait to get home,” Edward said, dragging me to the back of our bus. Our set was short and I didn’t feel like I needed to shower. I just changed out of my clothes into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt that belonged to my husband. Edward did take a quick shower, toweling off and tossing on a pair of jeans. “Six days of just relaxing and resting and recuperating from this leg of the tour.”

“And let’s not forget your birthday, old man,” I quipped, twisting my curls up into a messy bun.

“I’m not old,” he argued.

“Is that a gray hair?” I teased, pointing to a spot on his head. Edward eyes widened and he looked in the mirror.

“You suck, Cullen!” he barked. “There’s no fucking grays!”

“Just teasing, old man,” I cackled as I sat down on the couch in the tour bus. Edward scowled as he stomped back toward me, pulling on an old Emerson sweatshirt. “Come on, Edward. Relax. You’re just as sexy as you were back in college.”

“As sexy?” he growled, attacking me with his fingers. “I’m sexier, woman!”

“Stop! I’m going to pee on you!” I screamed, laughing hysterically. His fingers relented and he pulled me into his lap, kissing my neck. “And yes, you’re sexier. Far sexier than your college counterpart. My older, sexier husband has more muscles, more wisdom and a lot more love.” I smiled looking into his evergreen eyes, which had softened. “But, you’re getting a birthday party, Edward Anthony. The plans are in order and your present is currently at Carlisle and Esme’s house.”

“My present should be you in nothing but a bow,” Edward smirked, his hand slipping underneath my shirt and cupping my bare breast, squeezing it lightly.

“Behave,” I chided. “We’re going to be home in a few hours. We can have wild monkey sex once we get back home, to our _own_ bed.” He pouted. “Stop with the puppy face. It’s not like we haven’t done it today.”

“But still,” he whined.

“God, I can’t believe you’re going to be twenty-seven,” I snorted. “You act more like a child than an almost thirty-year-old you are.”

“I’m not thirty. I’m three years from thirty,” Edward argued. “Let me enjoy the remainder of my twenties, Isabella Marie Cullen.” As he said that, the bus pulled away from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Charity concert venue, following the other bus. Our stage was being driven to Baltimore, our first stop after our hiatus. We arrived at the airport a short time after that and loaded up on the private Twilight jet with the band, Kellan and the private security team. Some of them were going to spend time with their families, like Greg and Max. Ainsley and Ryan were planning on floating between our homes and rental properties to ensure our safety. Ainsley was staying with Jasper and Ryan would be staying in our guest house, near the entrance of our property.

The feeling in the plane was one of exhaustion and happiness to be going home. However, I had plans to go shopping with Alice, Nia and Ainsley early the following morning. I needed their help, their guidance for one the presents I planned to give to my husband for his birthday. So, we would go out early tomorrow.

Well, not too early.

I am a rock star, after all. All of those late nights performing and partying, I need my beauty sleep.

Okay, I’m full of shit, but I still want to sleep in.

_Just saying._

xx LMDC xx

After returning to Albany, Edward and I went to our home and barely made inside the door before we our clothes were sent flying. He licked me to oblivion on the piano and fucked me from behind on the couch. _It was so nice to be able to be as loud as we wanted._ He carried me upstairs and made love to me in our bed before we both succumbed to exhaustion.

The next morning, I woke up and finagled my way out of Edward’s tangle of arms. He didn’t want to let me go, but I had places to go and people to see. Taking a quick shower, I changed into a pair of jeans and one of Edward’s t-shirts. I covered my hair with a hat, wanting to be as nondescript as possible. Kissing Edward’s pouty lips, I left a note saying that I was running errands and that I’d have my phone. He didn’t respond since he was in a sex coma. Going down to the garage, I backed out our old Volvo from college. I smiled, missing this car since it held a lot great memories.

I drove the short distance to Alice’s townhome and parked in the driveway. Using my key, I let myself in and was surprised to see a very cheery and very _naked_ Kellan rooting through the fridge. “Hello,” I smirked, twirling my keys. “I didn’t know that there was a full moon in the forecast.”

“Fuck,” Kellan barked, grabbing the milk jug and covering his junk. “Bella?”

“No, it’s Edward,” I deadpanned. “I thought you were staying at a hotel, Mr. Moore.”

“Um,” he squeaked. “I’m kind of naked here.”

“I know this. You have the whitest ass I’ve ever seen, Kellan,” I giggled. Her whimpered, giving me a look. “Oh, fine. I’m turning. I need Alice. We have plans.”

“Got it,” he yelled as his feet pounded up the stairs.

I heard his voice in the bedroom and Alice’s tinkling laughter. It carried through the house as she glided downstairs, grinning widely. “You about scared the shit out of Kellan.”

“That would not have been good. I had a nice view of his pasty white ass,” I quipped. “So, you and Kellan?”

“Uh, yeah,” she blushed, biting her lip. “I told him that he was crazy for wanting to stay at a hotel.” She was about to continue when Nia and Ainsley walked into the townhouse, carrying cups of coffee. “I’ll tell you more later.”

“You better,” I said, hugging her.

“We come bringing the nectar of the gods,” Nia sang, handing me my usual mocha latte from my favorite coffee shop, The Coffee Bean. “It has a touch of cinnamon, Bells.”

“God bless you,” I smiled, taking a sip.

“And a skinny chai latte for you,” Ainsley said, handing Alice her drink.

“Thanks. Mom and Dad picked up some groceries, but not coffee. Now, I’m going to put some shoes on and then we can go, yeah?” she nodded.

We agreed and she went upstairs. A few moments later, Alice was wearing a pair of flats and we clambered into my SUV. I drove us to a strip mall that had an upscale sex shop that I found on Google. “Why are we at Risqué Business?” asked Alice. “Are you and my brother taking up BDSM?”

“Ugh, no,” I laughed. “We fool around with domination and submission, thanks to your flogger you bought me in college, but it’s very tame. What we are delving into is, um …”

“It’s okay, Bells. We won’t judge. Are you pegging Edward?” Nia giggled.

“That would be a no,” I snorted. “I think he’d have a heart attack if I put on a strap on and yeah. Not doing that, but we are thinking about doing that to me.”

“Anal sex?” Alice asked. “Wow. Who would have thought my conservative brother would cross that line?”

“It’s something we both talked about and we’re curious,” I shrugged.

“You do know that it requires a lot of patience, right?” Ainsley asked. I nodded, turning to face her in the backseat. “I’ve had anal sex with my douchebag ex-husband. Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” I said.

“Then, let me go in there and get what you need. Even in your ludicrous get-up, you’ll be recognized,” Ainsley chuckled. She opened the door and took the cash I handed her.

“When are you going to try?” Nia asked. Alice smacked her. “OWW! What was that for?”

“It’s private!” Alice hissed.

“No, it’s okay. We talked about crossing that line on the bus and I want to give it to him on his birthday. I have a list of what I needed, but I’m assuming that Ainsley knows what she’s doing,” I replied. “Have either of you …?”

“I have not. One way only,” Nia said, shaking her head.

“Me, neither. That would be something you’d want to do with someone you’re in a relationship with. I haven’t had a serious relationship since Jasper,” Alice shrugged. “I’ve a lot of sex, but none of the anal variety.”

“Edward has done things to me, back there, and my orgasms are quite explosive,” I chuckled. “I want to give this to him, in addition to his birthday presents.”

“What did you get the spoiled Green-Eyed Freak?” Alice snickered.

“A new electric guitar. It’s blue and absolutely gorgeous,” I smiled. “And a Ducati. We both took lessons and got our motorcycle licenses in California. Emmett got them for Edward and I took them with him. Ever since then, he’d been looking at various bikes and I found this sleek black Ducati with all the bells and whistles. It’s at Carlisle and Esme’s. I’ll pick it up the morning of his party. Speaking of which, you both will be there to help with the set-up, right?”

“With bells and whistles,” Alice smiled and Nia nodded fervently. “Ainsley’s coming back with a huge bag.”

“Oh, God,” I whimpered.

Ainsley clambered into the car, handing me the bag. “You have everything you need in there to be successful with Anal Sex.” I looked inside, pulling out the various items. The first being a silicone plug looking thing. “That’s a butt plug. There are three of them in there, all various sizes. Put the smallest one in first so you can get used to the intrusion.” I tossed that back into the bag, picking up a large tube of lube. “That’s pretty self-explanatory. You don’t get wet in your ass.”

“Condoms, too?” I said, looking at the large box of Trojan Magnums.

“My ex insisted on them, but what you and Edward do is completely up to you. There’s also a jeweled butt plug for when you’re ready and a book on various sex positions for anal sex. What works, what doesn’t and tips on how to enjoy the pain/pleasure you’ll feel,” Ainsley said.

“Thank you for picking this all up. I appreciate it. I wouldn’t have really known where to start,” I said, putting the bag by Alice’s feet. “Now, who wants breakfast?”

“I definitely could use breakfast,” Alice said, giving me a secretive smile. “I had an eventful morning.”

I chuckled, driving us to a small, mom-and-pop diner. We were seated immediately and ordered various goodies, foregoing all of our strict restrictions for our diets. I rarely ate carbs, whereas Alice and Nia didn’t eat anything fattening. I got a huge stack of buttermilk pancakes with hash browns, bacon and eggs. Alice got raspberry crepes, along with Ainsley. Nia got a huge meat skillet, with a side of hash browns, pancakes, toast and corn beef hash. “Ainsley, I’m glad you came with us. I know it was in an official capacity, but out of all of the security team, I know the least about you,” I said, sipping my orange juice.

“That’s because I’m usually paired up with your brother,” Ainsley said. “Twilight is insistent that Ryan or Max is with you, Bella. The bigger the guy, the more protection they believe. I beg to differ because I’ve kicked all their asses.”

“You’re small but mighty,” Alice smirked.

“Damn straight,” Ainsley laughed.

“Tell us about yourself,” Nia encouraged. “How long have you been working with Pandora?”

“I started working for them about two years ago. I got divorced around the time I started working with them. My ex-husband cheated on me while I was in Afghanistan, defending our country. I found him, in bed, with my best friend. So, once I got my discharge papers, I packed up my shit and moved to New York City. Originally, I was going to work with the mercenaries and go back to the Middle East, but my first assignment was a private job, like this. I liked this better and there wasn’t as much risk, but the pay was awesome,” she smiled. “Plus, I got to travel the world, not covered in sand or sunburnt within an inch of my life.”

“Your ex-husband is a douchebag,” I growled. “While you were deployed, he cheated on you? What an asshole!”

“Yeah, he knew he fucked up. He didn’t contest the divorce even though he still loved me. He was just horny. That’s why God invented your hand, you bastard,” Ainsley sighed. “Apparently, Rosie and her four sisters were a poor substitute for all of this hotness and so he had to turn to my best friend.”

“You’re gorgeous, Ainsley,” Alice said. “Clear porcelain skin with shocking red hair and ice blue eyes?! Your ex was blind, deaf and dumb.”

“Yep and that’s why I got everything I wanted in the divorce,” she laughed. “It was how I was able to buy my condo outright in the Upper East Side. Do I miss him? At times, but I’d rather be on my own than with his lying, cheating, skanky ass. Oh! And he got an STI from my friend, too. He may be sterile.”

“Karma’s a bitch,” I snickered, tapping my glass with hers.

“Ain’t it?” she smiled.

We finished our breakfast and gossiped throughout our entire meal. It was nice to spend time with the girls. I loved my husband; he was my world. I needed girly-time as well and I was blessed with some of the best friends a woman could ask for. Though, I missed Rose and I wanted her with us as well, but that may or may not happen. She was invited to Edward’s birthday, but I never heard from her if she was coming or not.

After breakfast, I drove us back to Alice’s home. Nia and Ainsley left since Jasper had plans to meet up with a few guys from Emerson, who lived in and around campus. Ainsley desperately needed to do laundry and was using the facilities in the Jasper’s rental. It gave me an opportunity to talk to Alice about her budding relationship with Kellan.

“Ugh, I ate way too much food,” Alice said, rubbing her flat tummy. “But it was so good!”

“It was,” I said. “So, how embarrassed was Kellan?”

“You should have seen his face. He was so pink,” Alice giggled. “I felt for him, really I do, but I told him you were on your way. He thought he had enough time to get something to drink and come back up. He did not expect for you to see him in his birthday suit.”

“He has one white ass,” I snorted.

“A white ass and hips to die for,” she said dreamily, fanning herself. “That man can do things with his body that make mine sing!”

“So, are you and Kellan together?”

“We are, but we’re taking it slowly,” she said.

“Says the woman who said he can rock your world,” I snickered.

“Yes, we had sex and it was the best sex ever. Even better than when I was with Jasper, but we’re going to take our time with each other. I really care for him and he obviously cares for me. One thing, though …” she trailed off.

“What?”

“We’re keeping it quiet. I want us to have _our_ time together. I trust you to keep quiet, but I don’t want to tell anyone else until we’re both committed, you know?” Alice tucked her hair behind her ears and crossed her legs. As she sat there, idly playing with a ring, the door opened and Kellan walked in, carrying a few bags of groceries.

“Ali? You home?” he called, walking into the living room. “Hey, Bella.”

“Hi, Kellan,” I smiled. “Alice was just talking to me about your relationship.”

“I told her how we wanted to keep it quiet,” Alice explained.

“Discretion would be a godsend,” Kellan said, sitting down next Alice and taking her hand, kissing her knuckles. “I don’t want my sister to get all in a tizzy and Edward scares me.”

“Edward is a pussy cat,” I laughed.

“No, he likes pussy,” Alice countered. “Your pussy.”

“Trust me. I know,” Kellan deadpanned. “Are you ever quiet when you guys have sex?”

“Are you?” I smirked.

“Touché,” he shrugged. “But, we’d appreciate it if you could hold off telling people.”

“Of course,” I nodded. “I love both of you and I want nothing but happiness for you. I’m happy you’re together. You’re very cute.”

“She’s cute,” Kellan said, kissing Alice’s temple. “I’m a mess.”

“A mess who made us the biggest band after Bon Jovi,” I argued.

“Okay, okay,” he blushed. “I’ll let you guys finish talking. I have to send off a few emails to Jared about the next leg of the tour. We’re increasing your security and I want to look at the people Pandora is sending over.” He brushed his lips against Alice’s mouth and tugged on my ponytail. Jogging up the stairs, I heard the door close.

“Do you love him?” I asked.

“I can’t say right now, but it’s possible,” she smiled wistfully. “But, I’m terrified that I’m going to have a repeat with happened with Jasper.”

“Alice, you’re so regimented with your medications and what happened with Jasper, it wasn’t your fault,” I said.

“It was. I was in a manic state and all I wanted was a baby. When I lost it, it sent me into a deep depression. Yes, my meds help a lot, but I’m terrified that he’s going to see me as crazy and we’ll break up. I don’t want to lose another friend and I definitely don’t want to have a baby. Well, not yet,” Alice sighed.

“Does Kellan know this?”

“He does. He knows the whole story and he understands. He’s on medication for depression as well,” Alice shrugged. “But, while we’re home, I’m getting an IUD so the threat of having a baby is negligible. I don’t trust condoms.”

“That seems wise. You could get the shot. It worked for me,” I suggested.

“I tried it once and I had my period for the entire time. No thank you,” Alice shuddered. “Not to mention really bad cramps and I gained a lot of weight. I haven’t used anything since, but I haven’t been sexually active. Now, enough about me. Tell me your plan about smexing up my brother.”

xx LMDC xx

“Make sure that the lights are all connected at the center of the tent,” I said to the workers who were putting together the birthday extravaganza for Edward. “If you need more extension cords, I have them in the garage.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Cullen,” one of the younger men said. “And where do you want the DJ?”

“The south end of the dance floor. There is a pile of cords there for him,” I smiled, stepping back out into the warm mid-June sun. Alice and Nia were working with the caterers and decorators, making sure that everything was good to go. I was hovering over the guys in the backyard, but they were almost finished. Then, the decorators would set up the music décor I’d chosen for the party in the tent.

“Bells! You’ve got to get ready!” Nia shouted. “Jasper just texted and said they are on the back nine.”

“Shit!” I barked. I spoke to the manager, reiterating my plans and he assured me everything would be assembled to my exacting standards. I ran up the stairs and showered quickly. Using the blow dryer, I put some mousse in my hair, leaving it wild and curly. I put on some makeup, playing up my eyes and leaving everything else pretty neutral. “Alice, can you call Ryan? He’s supposed to come with me Carlisle and Esme’s.”

“Sure thing, Bells,” she yelled up the stairs.

I pulled on a pair of black leather pants and black corset. Shrugging on a leather jacket, I put on a pair of black boots. Fluffing my hair, I picked up Edward’s new guitar and brought it down to the kitchen. Ryan was waiting for me. “Hey, Ryan. Thanks for driving!”

“No problem, Miss Bella,” he said, shooting me a smile. “Are you sure I can’t drive Mr. Edward’s bike home?”

“No,” I smirked. “You get to drive the Volvo like a good little soccer mom.” Ryan made a face, causing me to laugh. “Alice, can you put this outside once their done with the decorations?”

“Sure, sweets,” she nodded. “Oh, and I heard from Rose. She’s on her way and will be here by the time you get back.”

“Awesome,” I beamed. “I’ve missed her.”

“Me, too,” Alice nodded.

“Me, three,” Nia chimed in. “Do you think that she and Emmett are going to get back together?”

“Only time will tell,” I replied, taking my driver’s license out of my wallet. “Come on, Ry. I’ve got a Ducati to pick up.” We got into the Volvo and drove the forty-five minutes to Carlisle and Esme’s. They were not coming to Edward’s party since they didn’t want to be the old farts there. The party consisted of all The Cliff Hangers, a number of people from Twilight, a few of our friends who had stayed local from Emerson University and some of Edward’s friends from high school, including Garrett Sisko, Edward’s former choir director and his wife, Kate. Instead, we were going to Carlisle and Esme’s house for dinner the next day and spending time as a family before we flew off to Baltimore for our next leg of our tour.

“Don’t go too fast, Miss Bella,” Ryan chided as we pulled up to Carlisle and Esme’s. “The Ducati goes significantly faster than the Volvo.”

“And even thought I have the license, I don’t like to drive a motorcycle,” I chuckled. “I’ll be right back.” Letting myself into their home, Esme greeted me. We spoke briefly, solidifying our plans for tomorrow. With a hug, I opened up the garage door and whistled lowly. Edward’s bike was gorgeous, sleek, black and _fast_. Twisting up my hair, I put the helmet on and mounted the bike. I turned on the engine, moaning feeling its power between my legs. Slowly pulling out of the garage, I waved at Esme and waited for Ryan to back out. Once he did, I shot out in front of him and we drove back to my home in Albany.

Parking the bike in the garage and affixing a large green bow on its handle bars, Rose walked up, carrying a large gift bag. “I leave for six months and now you’re all badass?” she quipped.

I flipped my hair out of my helmet and hugged her. “God, I miss you,” I said, rubbing her shoulders. “You look great.”

“Thanks,” she smiled. Her blonde hair was darker and shorter, cut to a sleek bob just above her shoulders. She had lost weight and was wearing a simple summer sundress with espadrilles. “I’m enjoying my time at the PR firm I’m working for. I moved out of my parents’ house and have a small condo near Central Park.”

“You’re not coming back?” I asked.

“It’s a sublet. I haven’t made any decisions,” she shrugged, following me into the house. “When Emmett told me about the prostitute in Montreal, I was sick to my stomach. I still am and I’m terrified to see him.”

“Does he know you’re coming?”

“I sent him a text. He knows I’ll be here, but he said he’d be respectful of my boundaries,” she shrugged. “Whatever the fuck that means. It may just mean that he won’t hump my leg in public.”

“I think he’ll be more discreet than that,” I said, threading my arm through hers and sitting down in the family room. “I don’t know if Emmett told you everything.”

“I only heard prostitute and drunk and I hung up,” she said, her lips pursed. “What happened?”

I told her the story about Montreal. She was angry and ashamed, but most of all she was pissed at Emmett potentially ruining his standing with the band. “So, he’s got this contract that says that if he fucks up again, he’s out?” Rose asked.

“Essentially, yes,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “I was ready to throw him out, but Kellan reminded me of this contingency plan.”

“I hope he adheres to it,” Rose sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“You shouldn’t apologize, Rose,” I said, taking her hand. “It’s not your fault.”

“I know it’s not my fault, but I want to smack him stupid,” she growled. “But, I’ll behave. I don’t want to be arrested for assault.”

“I doubt that Emmett would go to that length,” I said.

“No, I want to leave marks,” she said, her brow arched. “He’s fucked up. Big time. He needs to pay for his actions, his infidelity and his addictions.”

“Truthfully, are you leaning toward divorce?” I whispered.

“Right now? Yes. I’ve been working with a divorce attorney and started doing that when the baby drama came out. I was grateful that it was unfounded, but still. The fact that this bitch tried to pin a baby on fucking my husband? Crap, that damn near broke my heart. It’s the one thing that I can’t give Emmett,” she said, her violet eyes dimming. “Babies are not in my future. Well, biological babies. Adoption is an option or a surrogacy since my ovaries still function.”

“Bells, we’re ready in the backyard,” Alice said. “Rose!” She ran over to her and hugged her tightly. “I love the hair! So adorable!”

“Thanks,” Rose smiled.

We all got up and checked out the finished tent in the backyard. It was cooled with a portable air conditioner and there were tables set up for the guests, with large floral arrangements atop them. Also there were two large bars on either side of the dance floor. Along the front of the tent, there were music decorations and a large cake in the form of a guitar. As we inspected the décor, Rose and Alice were catching up. Alice told her about a budding relationship, but didn’t share with whom she was with. Rose seemed happy for Alice and hugged her.

“Guys! Guests are showing up. Ryan and Ainsley are letting them in. Jasper also called and said that they were on sixteenth hole,” Nia said. “They’re showering at the golf course and will be here in about an hour.”

“Great!” I smiled, going to greet our friends and colleagues. Drinks were poured, the wait staff walked around with trays of appetizers and music began pumping from the DJ station. As I walked around, I smiled for a few pictures with my friends from Emerson. Tia and Tyler were there along with Ben and a very heavily pregnant Angela. She was expecting twins, her second set. She damned Ben and his super sperm. I was pulled away to talk to another Twilight artist before I could finish my conversation with Angela and Ben, but I promised that we would talk before the end of the night. Even Demitri and Felix, our directors from Emerson Express, the show choir at Emerson, were at our party. I had sent an email to Eleazar and Carmen, inviting them as well, but they were in Prague with University Singers, doing a tour similar to the one we performed at the end of my first year in college.

“Okay, Jasper said that they pulled into the subdivision,” Nia said. “Do you think that Edward is going to shit his pants?”

“Consider it payback from all of the surprises he’s sprung on me,” I deadpanned. “I hate surprises.”

A few moments later, the music stopped and we all moved off to the side of the yard, on the other side of the pool. I could hear Edward and Kellan laughing about their golf scores and my brother razzing them both for sucking royally. “Stop picking on the birthday boy,” Jasper laughed as he opened the door. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, white button-down and a beige vest. “Not everyone is as talented as you. I’m surprised you were patient enough to play golf.”

“It was oddly therapeutic,” Emmett said, stepping out onto the patio. He was in all black with a pair of shades on his face.

“Who would have thought that Mr. Impatient would kick all of our asses?” Kellan snorted, running his hand through his short, sandy blonde hair. He also wore a pair of jeans with a button-down, but his was teal blue color. “And old man here would get the worst score!”

“Watch who you’re calling old, you curmudgeon,” Edward barked. “I’m eight years younger than you and still in my twenties.” My husband was in a pair of distressed jeans with a black button-down with a grey shirt underneath. He had a pair of wayfarers buried in his hair and a subtle sunburn on his pale cheeks.

“SURPRISE!” everyone yelled.

Edward looked and jumped into Emmett’s arms.  “Holy shit!” he laughed. Emmett barked out a guffaw, putting Edward on his feet. I sauntered over to my husband and threw my arms around his neck. “You are devious, Isabella Marie.”

“I told you that you’d have a birthday party,” I said, kissing his lips. “Surprise!”

“It sure is,” he said, dipping me and patting my ass. “Wow! Thank you everyone. I was expecting a few people not a horde.”

“Well, a horde of people love you, Edward,” Alice chirped, standing next to Kellan but not touching him. Edward blushed, kissing my temple. “Come on! Let’s get this party started!”

Music began pumping and the energy of Edward’s birthday kicked up a few notches. Drinks went around along with appetizers and great conversation. As the sun dipped behind the trees, we went into the tent and our dinner was served. Pictures were taken and Edward showed his appreciation for his surprise party was made known with his numerous kisses and cheeky, teasing touches along my neck and under my breasts.

After dinner, we ate cake and went onto the dance floor, staying there until just after midnight when the DJ shut down due to the ordinances of the permit. Most of the people began leaving, only the Twilight artists and people remaining as Edward lit up the fire pit. I noticed that Rose and Emmett slipped inside of the house and I was glad that they were talking.

“Do you want to open your presents, Edward?” Jasper asked, smoking a cigar. “We all got you something.”

“I think you’ll like what Bella got you,” Alice snickered. “In more ways than two.”

I shot her a glower and she just giggled, sipping her bottle of beer. Edward turned to me, arching a brow. I shrugged, downing my beer. “Come with me, handsome,” I said, taking his hand. “This is one of three presents I got for you.” He smiled, threading our fingers together. Everyone followed us and I opened the garage door. His eyes widened when he saw the sleek black Ducati. “Happy birthday, baby.”

“A motorcycle?” he breathed, walking over to the beautiful bike. “Bella … Can I take it out now?”

“I’d prefer you be a little more sober, Edward,” I retorted. “We’re all a little drunk.”

“Shit, you’re right,” he pouted. “But, what I wouldn’t give to fuck you on that bike.”

“That’s proof that you’re too shit-faced to drive,” I laughed, my face flaming. “Bike fucking can happen later, stud. Let’s drink some water, hmmmm?” We all walked back to the patio and chattered until the flames in the fire pit dimmed. People left and around two in the morning, it was just Edward and me in our house.

“This was the best birthday. Ever,” he slurred, leaning against the kitchen island. “Great friends, awesome food, lots of booze and fucking amazing wife who got me a Ducati!”

“I also got you a couple other presents, Mr. Cullen. One, you’ll get in the morning. But, I have one that I want to give you tonight, if you’re sober enough to enjoy it,” I said, arching a brow.

Edward finished his water bottle, his eyes darkening with desire. “I’m never too drunk for you, baby.”

“I need you to focus,” I purred, taking his hand and pulling him up the stairs.

“Seeing you naked will enhance my focus,” he replied. In our room, I flicked on the lights and lit a few candles inside. Dimming the lights, I pushed his shirt off his shoulders, running my hands along his strong arms. He shuddered. “You always know how to make me feel good, Isabella.”

“Sit down, Edward,” I said, pushing him onto the bed. He smiled watching as I backed away from him. I turned on the sound dock and some sultry, pulsating jazz filled our room. I rolled my body, giving him a clear view of my outfit, though he’d been ogling me all night. Flipping my hair up, I looked over my shoulder and smiled seductively at him. His eyes were trained on me as I reached around my back and unzipped the tight corseted top I wore. I slipped my arms through the thick straps and turned back around. Lowering it slowly, I revealed my breasts and Edward moaned. I sauntered over to him, pulling his hair and forcing his head to tilt back. I kissed him hungrily while his hands palmed my breasts, squeezing and twisting my nipples. “Someone wants me.”

“More than you know,” he breathed against my mouth, his hands continuing their erotic assault on my tits. “You’re so fucking exquisite, Bella. I want to spend all night fucking you.”

“And you will,” I vowed, backing away and slipping off my shoes. I leaned forward, cupping my breasts and staring into my husband’s eyes. His evergreen orbs devoured me like he was the predator and I was the prey. _You’re in for a treat, hubby of mine._ Licking my lips, I cocked my hip and unbuttoned my leather pants. Slowly, lowering the zipper, I looked directly at him as I eased my pants over my hips, revealing my bare lower half.

Panties and leather … not a good combo. _Just saying._

Stepping out of the pants, I kicked them to the side and ran my hands along my torso. Edward’s adam’s apple bobbed and he let out the most beautiful combination of a growl and a whimper. Sashaying toward him, I picked up his hands and placed them on my hips. “Touch me,” I murmured.

He eagerly complied, leaning forward and pressing open-mouthed kisses to my stomach. His hands moved along my ass, making me squirm. I was getting wetter and more aroused with each pass of his hands. When he spread the globes of my ass and trailed his finger along my cleft, he stopped. Gingerly, he looked up at me and traced the hard metal of the jeweled butt plug I had slid in when I went to the bathroom around midnight. “Turn around,” he ordered gruffly. I eagerly complied, leaning over and spreading my ass. “Fuck. Are you serious?”

“Only if you are sober enough, birthday boy,” I replied.

“Oh, I’m sober,” he answered, leaning forward and kissing my left cheek before moving to the right. His arm banded around my waist and he dragged me onto the bed. He pressed his hard body to mine, covering me completely. His kisses were hungry and rough. With one hand, he pinned my arms above my head and he spread my legs with his knees. I took every harsh kiss, every hungry, teasing bite and every dominating growl. Moving down my body, he bit down on my nipples, making me cry out. He continued attacking my breasts before moving further down to the apex between my thighs. “Fuck, Bella. You’re drenched.”

“All for you, baby,” I purred. “Seeing you smile, hearing you laugh … that’s the sexiest thing in the world.”

He smiled softly, crashing his lips to mine before his mouth moved back to my pussy, devouring every inch of my leaking slit. He kept his mouth on me through two orgasms. I was a shivering mess when he finished. He crawled up the bed, laying on his side. His lips were swollen and glistening with my arousal. He pulled me close, sliding his leg between my thighs. “I know that we mentioned that we wanted to try,” he murmured. “I don’t want to push you, beautiful.”

“I want this. I want you,” I replied. “I’ve read up on having anal sex.”

“So have I and this is why I’m hesitant. I’m big. Not gonna lie,” he snorted.

“Baby, I know how big you are. Your cock is ginormous,” I said, palming him through his dark-wash jeans. “I have everything we need, Edward. Lube, condoms and I’ve been preparing myself to feel you.”

He swallowed, staring into my eyes. Pursing his lips, he kissed me tenderly and pulled me astride his waist. We kissed slowly, rebuilding the passion between us. Breaking apart, both breathing heavily, he nodded. “I want this. I want you.”

I smiled, kissing his nose before pulling out the lube and condoms from the night stand. Edward took the condoms and tossed them on the floor. “We’re both clean and I want to feel all of you.”

“It was just a suggestion,” I said, my finger tracing his pectoral muscle. “I was warned that it might be sensory overload for you, baby.”

“It probably will be,” he chuckled, removing his shirt. I kissed him and his clothes ended up on the floor. Edward, as we kissed, removed my jeweled butt plug and I shuddered, hating how empty I felt. He tenderly circled my rosette, massaging me. With some lube, he slowly eased one finger into my ass and I whimpered against his mouth. He was slowly pumping his hand, spreading me. He added a second and then a third. “Are you ready?” he whispered.

“Yes,” I replied. He moved me so I was on top. His cock brushed my folds and I moaned. Edward eased me down his cock, filling my pussy. “God, I can’t believe how good you feel.”

“Just wait until I’m fully inside you,” Edward said, rolling my hips. I stopped, getting off him and slathering his cock with lubricant. It was so wet, covering his stomach and thighs. I inched forward, kissing his lips as he angled the head of his cock into the puckered hole of my behind. As the head pushed past the barrier, I held my breath. “Relax, my love,” he cooed. I released the breath, allowing my body to go limp. Slowly, he pushed deeper inside until he was fully seated in me.

It was painful.

It was taboo.

It felt _great_.

“God, Edward,” I moaned against his chest. “So good.”

“Can I move?” he asked, his voices straining.

“Please,” I begged. His hips began thrusting, slowly and steadily as he slid in and out of my ass. I could the muscles widen around his length and my pussy was pulsating with each thrust. “God, I’ve never …”

“Fuck, Bella. You’re so tight,” he hissed, sitting me up. He pressed deeper in me. I was panting, my mouth hanging open as I ran my fingers along his sweaty face and down his pale torso. “Play with your pussy, baby. I want you to come on me.”

“Fuck,” I whimpered, reaching my hand between my legs and circling my clit. It was weird to feel so aroused but not have him inside my pussy. I slid two fingers inside, rolling my clit with my other hand. Edward grunted, seeing me fuck myself with my fingers. “Oh, God! Edward … I’m so close. So wet …”

“Can I go harder?” he asked, his voice straining. Unable to speak, I nodded and he pushed deeper. I could feel him through the thin membrane between my pussy and ass. “Yes, baby. Come with me.”

“Fuck! Fuck!” I barked, my release coating my hands. “Edward!” He moaned, his body tensing. “YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!” I screamed as my body sprung to life, exploding like a firecracker with a powerful, juicy orgasm. He was covered with evidence of my release. My orgasm triggered his and I felt his cock twitch within me, filling me with streams of his cum inside of my ass. We stayed connected until his cock deflated, slipping out of me. I collapsed against his chest, my hands gliding along his arms. “I’m boneless.”

“Uh huh,” he answered, sounding as exhausted as I felt. “Did I hurt you?”

“God, no. Did you hear me screaming like a banshee?” I chuckled, pressing a kiss above his frantically beating heart. He laughed along with me, pressing a soft kiss to my hair.

“Come on. Let’s take a quick shower to wash off the lube and everything else,” he said, scooting toward the edge of the bed. “Hold on tight, spider monkey.” I giggled, latching my legs around his waist as he carried us to the bathroom. He lovingly washed me, taking special care between my legs and around my behind. His lips never left my skin, keeping his now jade colored eyes in line with mine. When he finished, I kissed him tenderly, brushing my lips with his. “I love you, Bella. I really meant it when I said it was the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

“Was it because of the great sex you just had or the sexy bike I gave you?” I teased.

“Neither. It was because I got to spend the day with you, _cantante_ ,” he said.

And my heart melted. How could I not adore my wonderful husband? _Sigh …_

**A/N: So, I had a little drama writing this chapter. I was about halfway done when my computer decided to restart. I lost 3000 words. I was so freaking pissed. Let me tell you. I wanted to add more lemons, but my anger only allowed me to have this one. As a result, I will add another lemon next chapter, wrapping up their hiatus between the first and second leg of their tour.**

**We’re going to finish up Edward’s birthday, with his family more so than his friends. Some more lemony goodness. Then, we’re going to find out about Rose and Emmett. Will they try to make their marriage work or will they go down the path of a divorce? Finally, we’re going to head to Baltimore for the next tour date. And there will be a reappearance of drama … _sorry!_**

**Pictures of Edward and Bella’s Albany mansion, lemony goodness, Edward’s birthday party and his presents are on my blog. You can find that on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79. Leave me some loving!**


	11. Putting on Some Charm in Charm City

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**We’re going to finish up Edward’s birthday, with his family more so than his friends. Some more lemony goodness. Then, we’re going to find out about Rose and Emmett. Will they try to make their marriage work or will they go down the path of a divorce? Finally, we’re going to head to Baltimore for the next tour date. And there will be a reappearance of drama … _sorry!_**

**Chapter Eleven: Putting on some Charm in Charm City**

**EPOV**

I woke up and I was sore. That delicious perfect sore from amazing love making. Looking over, I saw my gorgeous wife curled up next to me. Her lips swollen from my kisses and her naked body tangled in with our cream-colored sheets. I could see a hint of her breast and the dimples above her round ass. The part of her body that I’d claimed the night previous.

Talk about an amazing feeling.

When we first met, Bella was a virgin and very conservative. Now, she was willing to do so much since we were so comfortable with each other. The fact that she trusted me enough to allow us to explore that part of our bodies. I felt like I’d given my virginity to her. I’d lost my virginity the senior year of high school and it didn’t mean anything. Then, I’d had a friends with benefits arrangement with Tanya but that was just a huge mistake. Ginormous, really. After that, I met Bella and I was irrevocably hers.

My fingers ran down Bella’s spine and she sighed, her gorgeous brown eyes blinking open. She smiled shyly, her pale skin blushing beautifully. “Hey, handsome,” she said, her voice raspy and throaty. “What are you doing up so early?”

“Just looking at the perfection of you,” I replied, kissing her temple. “Thank you so much for this wonderful birthday party, Bella. It was a perfect day.”

“Only the best for you, Edward,” she yawned, moving her lithe body until she was snuggled next to me. “Did you like your presents?”

“Which one?” I purred, cupping her ass.

“I know you liked that,” she giggled, kissing my collarbone. “But, I’m talking about the guitar and bike.”

“The guitar is sweet and we’re so taking the bike over to my parents’ home when we go over there for dinner,” I beamed. “I can’t believe you got me a Ducati.”

“Nothing but the best for my baby,” she said, her fingers gliding along my belly. “It’s staying here for when we finish the tour. I know we’re spending our hiatus here while we’re working on our third album.”

“Always thinking of everything,” I said, pressing my lips to hers. “I can think of a few things I’d like to do with you before we head off to Casa de Cullen.”

“Tempting, but Rose asked to meet up with me for an early lunch. She sent me a text this morning,” Bella said, sitting up.

“When?”

“I got up to go pee and my phone chimed. We’re meeting in Albany,” she replied, twisting her hair up into a messy bun. “And yes, I know that I need to have protection. I sent a text to Ainsley and she’s picking me up at twelve.” Looking at the clock, she wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t realize it was this late. Join me, Mr. Cullen?”

“Spending time with my naked wife in the shower? You don’t need to ask me twice,” I chuckled, following her into the bathroom. Our shower was innocent since Bella had to be ready in forty-five minutes. I just relished the fact that I got to touch her soft, sexy skin as we cleaned each other. I watched as she fingered in some gel into her hair and applied simple, soft makeup. She put on a sexy but demure halter dress. “God, you’re absolutely gorgeous.”

“You make me feel that way,” Bella smiled, putting on her earrings. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“I think I’ll call Emmett. I bet he’s a bit rattled about seeing Rose,” I said, pulling on a pair of shorts and a V-neck t-shirt. “Tell Rose that I say hello.” Bella nodded, kissing me sweetly. She left and I followed her down the stairs. Waving at Ainsley, Bella slid into the front seat of a rented SUV. They drove away and I dialed Emmett. He was actually on his way to see me since my parents were out running errands for my birthday dinner with them. Ten minutes later, Emmett let himself into the house and found me in the kitchen. “Hey, Em. You hungry?”

“Starved. I didn’t feel comfortable rooting around in your parents’ fridge. I was going to pick up something on the way, but I knew you’d be able to hit me up,” he said, smiling but not really reaching his eyes.

“Whatever you want,” I said, opening the fridge.

“Is that egg salad?” Emmett asked. I nodded, knowing that my wife loved egg salad. I was not surprising that Emmett had the same craving. I took it out along with some brioche rolls. We made lunches and went to sit outside. The crew who had set up the tent were working to dismantle it. Alice was barking orders, making sure our yard wasn’t destroyed. “I didn’t know shorty was here. I didn’t see her car.”

“She usually takes care of any party clean up. My guess is that she was dropped off by security and was getting ride from me and Bella to my parents’ house. How are you doing?” I asked, tucking into my sandwich.

“Numb,” he sighed. “Rose and I talked. Like, _really_ talked.”

“How did that go?”

“Rose is willing to give me another chance, but like you guys with the contract, she wants the same,” Emmett said, leaning forward. “I’m willing to do it for her, but there’s a distance between us.”

“What did you expect, Emmett?” I pressed. “She’s been hurt by you.”

“I did more than hurt her. I completely betrayed her. She’s a better person than me, giving me another chance. I’m afraid that we’ll never go back to the way we were before,” Emmett muttered. “And that’s all my fault. My fault because I got drunk, high and fucked around with random sluts. I’m such a fuck up.”

“Just like you’re working on rebuilding trust with us, you’ll have to do the same with Rosalie, Emmett. It’s going to be an uphill battle. You’ll have to prove yourself to her,” I said, rubbing his shoulder. “Think of it as a fresh start. Court her, woo her.”

“Did you just say woo?” Emmett laughed.

“I did. And I woo your sister as often as possible,” I smirked. “Why do you think we’re as nauseating as we are?”

“Good point,” Emmett nodded. “How should I proceed? Since you’re the king of woo.”

“Do things, little things, that really show that you care about her,” I suggested. “Things that have meaning. Think about when you first started dating. What did you do to get her attention then?”

“You’re good at this shit,” Emmett replied. “I think I know what I’m going to do.” He finished his sandwich and put his feet up on the retaining wall. “Thanks, Edward. You are such a good guy. My sister is so lucky to have you.”

“I’m the lucky one,” I smiled, picking up the plates and bringing them inside. I grabbed a couple of beers, sitting down next to him. We randomly talked about the upcoming leg of the tour. He was excited to go to Raleigh, North Carolina but I was looking forward to go to Washington, D.C. We were performing at the Verizon Center and then a few days later, we’d perform on the Capital Fourth. We had a few days explore our nation’s capital and I’d only been when I was in eighth grade. It was a whirlwind of a tour, but I wanted to spend time doing things with my wife and my friends in D.C.

A couple hours later, the tent was completely dismantled and Alice had left, picked up by Kellan. I could have sworn that I saw them both kiss. I shook it off and waited for my wife to come back from her lunch date with Rose. Emmett watched baseball on the big screen in the basement while I changed into some dressier clothes, a pair of black pants and a charcoal gray button-down after my mom called me, saying that it was going to be a dressier occasion for my twenty-seventh birthday.

It also meant that I couldn’t ride over on my new motorcycle.

_Damn it._

When I was finished changing, Bella came back home. Emmett greeted her, asking about Rose. Bella didn’t say much, but she did kiss her brother’s forehead. Perhaps things weren’t as hunky dory as Emmett led to believe. Bella walked past me, grabbing my hand and leading me up to our bedroom. She licked her lips, staring at my outfit but I could see that she was troubled. “What is it, Bella?”

“Okay, let me just say that you’re all sorts of hot,” she said, shaking her head. “Now, that’s out of the way, Rose is so conflicted. Like on edge about what to do about Emmett. She said that she was willing to give him another chance, but she doesn’t think she can ever trust him, Edward. I told her that it wasn’t fair for her to dangle that carrot of hope to him and then blindside him with her decision to get divorced.”

“Maybe she’s sincere, Bella,” I said, pulling her into my arms.

“God, you smell so good on top of being freaking hot,” she moaned. “Sorry, I’m totally distracted by your perfection.” She buried her nose against my chest, inhaling deeply. “I’m just concerned about Emmett. I love my brother and I love Rose, but my heart is shattering for the both of them.”

“I get that, baby. You can’t let their problems affect you. We need to focus on us. On our relationship, that stalker, the tour, our health …” I prattled off.

“Ugh, the stalker! I was hoping that they would have been eliminated by now,” Bella moaned. “But, since we haven’t heard anything, I can assume that they’re still out there. Damn it.” Her face wrinkled and she gripped my shirt.

“As long as they’re out there, we’ll have protection and Pandora is sending over a bigger team for this next leg. Ryan, Ainsley, Greg and Max will work mainly with us with the secondary team coordinating with each venue,” I said, hugging her closely. “We’ll be safe, _cantante._ ”

“Hey guys! Alice texted and said that we should be there!” Emmett yelled up the stairs.

“We’re on our way,” I shouted back. Cupping Bella’s cheeks, I looked into her espresso colored eyes. “We’re safe. I love you and I would do anything to make sure that you are okay, Bella.”

“Kay,” she whispered, kissing my lips tenderly. “Let’s get some home cooking for your birthday, Edward. Your mom wants to love up on you.” We kissed once more, heading downstairs. With Emmett, we got into the Volvo and drove to my adoptive parents’ home. Since my parents lived in a gated community, we didn’t need the protection, but Ryan did follow us at a safe distance. He was meeting with the rest of the team while we celebrated my birthday about the next leg of the tour.

Arriving at my parents’ place, I parked behind Alice’s car. We got out and went inside. I could smell my favorite meal, eggplant parmesan, being made and my stomach rumbled. My adoptive mother hugged me. “It smells absolutely delicious, Mom.”

“There’s a spin,” she smiled. “A combination of pasta sauce and alfredo sauce. I think you’ll like it. Plus, we have meatballs, sausage, mozzarella sticks, huge salad …”

“Mom, you’re making my stomach growl,” I laughed, kissing her cheek.

“You’re not the only one,” Bella giggled, squeezing my mom. “God, this is exactly what we needed before we went back to ordering room service and eating out all the time.” The two of them went into the kitchen and I was pushed outside onto the patio. My sister, along with Kellan, was out there. They were sitting next to each other, looking very familiar. Across the patio, Nia and Jasper were making out and Emmett was talking to Senior and Carlisle.

“Edward!” chirped my sister. “Did you have a good birthday?”

“The best, Shorty. Thanks for all of your help!” I said, kissing her cheek. “In setting up the birthday party and helping it getting dismantled.”

“I tried to pawn it off on MY assistant, but she was in Cabo with her boyfriend. I got home late and stayed up even later,” Alice said, smirking at Kellan.

I sat down across from them. “Okay, so are you two a thing?”

“A thing?” Kellan snorted. “If a thing means that Alice is my girlfriend, then yes.”

“Good,” I smiled. “But, you hurt her, your cock will be tossed into the Hudson River, followed closely by your body.”

“Duly noted,” Kellan said, taking Alice’s hand and threading their fingers together. She practically melted against him. Bella walked out with Esme, carrying a large tray of antipasto, fresh cheese and pasta salad. Moscato was also poured and we talked about the tour. It was so nice to hang out with my family like before we were famous.

I loved performing and I loved the music, but the fame was daunting. Never any privacy. Always having to have protection. I felt like no matter what I was on stage. “Why the long face, handsome?” Bella asked, sitting on my lap. “This is your birthday.”

“Just thinking about fame,” I sighed. “And how we don’t have much freedom.”

“Too heavy, Edward,” she giggled, poking my face and trying to make me smile. “Focus on wonderful things like what we did last night.” That did make me smile, but it wasn’t out of happiness, but of pure desire to do it again with my wife. I cupped her neck, kissing her so deeply that she was bent almost to the floor. She smacked my chest. “Calm down, horn dog. Your parents are present.”

“And we don’t need a demonstration of that,” Senior deadpanned.

“Sorry, my wife was being irresistible,” I smirked, kissing her neck.

“I do try,” she laughed.

“Okay, I know that we only have you for a few hours before you have to go back home to pack so you can leave for Baltimore tomorrow morning,” Esme said. “We want to make the most of it.”

“I agree,” Carlisle said, holding up his glass of wine. “Shall you tell them, darling or shall I?”

“Since it affects you more, go ahead,” Esme smiled, walking to her husband and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Well, after thinking long and hard, I’ve decided to retire at the end of this year,” Carlisle said. “I love my job, but the hours are starting to wear on my old bones. So, effective December 30th, 2016, I will be turning in my scrubs in for a vacation home in Los Angeles, but I’m secretly hoping for Palm Springs.”

“That’s awesome news!” squealed Alice. “You’ll have to let me help you decorate.”

“We’ll see. But, we’re keeping this place, as well,” Esme replied. “I know that you all value your privacy and you get that living here. The separation, it’s been weighing on us both. Not being able to see you as often as we’d like. So, Carlisle’s retiring and I’m setting up my interior design business online, with the help of my new partner, Yvette. She’ll run things here and once I get established in California, I’ll handle things over there. I’m not ready to retire yet. My career is not as intense as yours, Carlisle.”

“You don’t have clients calling you at three in the morning having a chintz emergency,” Carlisle laughed.

“Good point,” Esme snickered.

“Are you retiring, Senior?” I asked.

“Nope. Not yet,” he replied. “I got a renewed drive for my job when I changed the direction I was going. Maybe in another five years.”

“I got the numbers from the first leg of the tour,” Kellan smiled. “Your grandchildren will not have to worry about money. With ticket sales, t-shirts, concessions and promotions, you made some serious bank! So, Happy Birthday, Edward! Breaking Midnight ensured that you will never have to work a day in your life.”

“Well, as nice as that sounds, I’d still work,” I chuckled. “Any other news?”

“Not news, but a present,” Alice chirped, hopping up from Kellan’s side. She handed me a large envelope. I pulled Bella closer to me and we opened the golden paper. Pulling out a heavy embossed folder, I opened it and gasped. “You never got a honeymoon. Neither one of you, so we all chipped in and got you a month in the South Pacific on a secluded, exclusive island. All of the amenities are there and no paparazzi. You leave the Monday after Thanksgiving and return just before Christmas.”

“Look, it says clothing optional,” I smiled crookedly. “I could let it all hang out.”

“You might blind people with your pastiness, Cullen,” Emmett teased. “You too, little Cullen.”

“Bite me, Swan,” Bella sneered, tossing an olive at her brother. He caught it with his mouth and did some really bad dance. “Though, this secluded island sounds freaking awesome. Can we go now?”

“Oh, no,” Kellan said. “You’ve got three more legs of your tour, missy! Breaking Midnight and the Midnight Sun tour are the hottest ticket right now. Plus, on the Billboard charts, your songs are numbers one to three. Yeah, you’re kind of a big thing.”

After that, we ate dinner on the patio and devoured my favorite cake, Bacardi Rum cake with extra glaze on the side. We stayed as long as we could, but left around nine so we could drive back to our hideaway in Albany to pack up for our next leg of the tour. We’d depart from Albany, flying to Baltimore. Driving back to our home, with Ryan on our tail, we went upstairs and packed our suitcases. Most of the clothes inside were comfortable and loose, being worn on the bus or in hotel rooms. Tossing my toiletries into my bag, I walked back into the bedroom and my wife was standing in front of me, wearing nothing but her wedding ring and a smile. “Hello,” I cooed. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

She just smirked, sashaying toward me and kneeling gracefully onto the ground. Tugging on my basketball shorts, she revealed my naked body. Her fingers glided along the ink along my hip from my first tattoo. Her hands so close to my cock made me hard. My arousal was growing. Licking her lips, she traced the vein underneath my length. “Fuck,” I whispered.

“All in good time,” she murmured, barely touching me and making me shudder with anticipation. Leaning forward, she kissed the head of my dick, peppering it with more. I threaded my hands into her soft hair as she continued to tease me with her lips. Her large, doe-like eyes were staring up at me as she caressed me with her mouth, lips and tongue. Closing her eyes, she took deep within her mouth and sucked as she dragged her lips back.

“Oooooh, God,” I moaned. Licking her lips, she repeated the motion, but squeezing my balls with her hands. My hips moved with her.

“Fuck my mouth,” she growled, swirling her tongue along the head of my arousal. “Use me, Edward. I’m yours. _All_ of me is yours.”

I didn’t ask twice as I held her head in place and she grabbed onto my hips. Slowly, I began thrusting and she hummed in approval. As my body reacted to the movement, my thrusts moved faster and went deeper inside of her mouth. Her fingernails were digging into my ass, taking all of me. “Fuck, Bella. You feel so good. Your pink lips around my cock.” She sucked me and I growled. “Suck my dick, baby. Take all of me.” She responded with a gurgle and a sharp thwack to my ass. It was my turn to moan as I lost myself to her. Her mouth, her tongue, her teeth, her hands … all of it was making me come apart at the seams. “Shit, Bella. I’m coming …”

My balls tightened and my cock swelled, exploding into her mouth. Streams of my cum pulsing out with each heartbeat. Bella released me with a pop, daintily wiping her lips. I took a few breaths before picking up my wife and carrying her to our bed. “Did you like my surprise?” she asked.

“Oh, very much. Now, it’s my turn to repay you in kind, baby,” I replied, kissing her deeply. Her fingers pulled at my hair as our tongues danced with each other. I could taste my essence on her tongue, but like her, I needed my taste. With open-mouthed kisses, I moved down her body. My hands cupped her breasts. She whimpered, arching into my grip. Using my fingers, I twisted her nipples as I continued moving further to her sex. Spreading her legs apart, I saw that her swollen, pink folds were dripping with her arousal. “Does sucking me off make you wet, Isabella?”

“So much,” she breathed, her voice deep and husky. “Seeing you come undone. It’s so …. Uhhhhhh!” I ran my tongue along her slit, savoring her earthy, sweet flavor. Flicking her pink clit, I teased the entrance to her pussy with my fingers. With her arousal and my saliva, she was soaked. I easily slid two fingers inside, pumping deeply. Her muscles clenched around me. I sucked her clit between my lips, curling my fingers up. Bella’s hips were rocking, making her taut breasts bounce with each movement. She was sex personified, open, wet, rolling and whimpering for me. Her hands flew to my hair, tugging painfully on the strands. I growled against her, adding another finger and slamming my fingers in her, moving it faster. “Edward …” she gasped. I blinked up, seeing her head thrown back. On my hand and coating my tongue, her arousal was spilling out of her unhindered. Every drop was delicious and I didn’t want to waste one bit of it.

“You’re so gorgeous, so wet for me,” I snarled against her sex. “I want you to come, Bella. I want to taste you. Come for me. I need to feel your pussy.” She whimpered, bucking wildly. I held her firm with my arm and went back to sucking on her pink clit. Curling my fingers inside, I felt an increase in her arousal and her panting grew more erratic. I flicked her clit with my tongue and watched as she completely unraveled. She screamed my name as her hips skyrocketed off the bed, coating my face and hand with her wetness.

Collapsing back on our bed, she was boneless and ticking with aftershocks from her orgasm. Crawling up her body, I hovered over her. Blinking up at me, she pulled my face to hers, kissing me deeply. She moaned as her legs lazily tried to latch around my hips. I centered her, sliding into her heat easily. We both sighed against each other’s mouths, feeling complete and whole within her. “That will never get old,” she murmured, hitching her legs over my hips. “Make love to me, baby.”

“Always,” I purred.

And that was a vow I took very, _very_ seriously.

xx LMDC xx

“Who’s brilliant idea was it to have us leave at o’dark thirty?” Jasper grumped. “Oh, right, that would be your brother. Nia, would you hate me if I killed your brother?”

“A little. He’s kind of useful,” Nia quipped, flipping a page in a gossip magazine. “And it would make Alice pretty fucking sad.”

“Pretty sad? I’d kill you, Jasper Whitlock,” Alice bitched. “Keep your sleepy paws off my brilliant man.”

“Good point. I’m sleepy and killing him would require too much energy,” Jasper yawned, putting his head on Nia’s boobs. He fondled them like they were pillows, making himself comfortable. A breakfast burrito went flying in his direction from Kellan.

“Stop molesting my sister,” Kellan growled. “No one wants to see you squeeze her tits. They’re like negative A-cups.”

“Kellan Dale Moore, so help you god, if you want to stay male, you will shut the fuck up,” Nia sneered.

“All of you, shut the fuck up,” Bella yelled. “Migraine! Lights, sound, yelling … very, very bad!” She threw my coat back over her head and whimpered. “Ow.”

“What will help, Isabelly?” Emmett asked.

“Coffee and silence,” she retorted. “And don’t call me Isabelly.”

“Come on, Em. Let’s go get some joe,” Ainsley said. “Anyone else want some?” We all raised our hands. Bella raised a foot. Emmett and Ainsley left, heading to a small café further down the gate.

“Despite Jasper’s uncouth reaction to Nia’s girly things, he did bring up a valid point. Why are we leaving so early?” I asked, massaging Bella’s side. “The flight is what, an hour?”

“A couple of reasons. Sound check is one and an interview/performance for WBAL’s lunch newscast. It was just added the day before yesterday,” Kellan said.

“How am I supposed to perform with a migraine?” Bella asked, arching a brow. “I want to gouge out my eyeballs and squish them, they hurt so bad.”

“Don’t do that, baby. I love your eyes,” I said, pushing her back to rest on my shoulder. Bella grumbled, laying down with her head on my lap. I kept her head covered by my jacket. “Again, valid question.”

“Bella, do you have medicine?” Kellan asked in a loud, obnoxious stage whisper.

“Not one that renders me useful,” she whispered back from underneath my jacket.

“She’s down for the count if she takes it. It’s rare she gets migraines. I’m usually the headache sufferer,” I said. “I think we were just up too late last night.” Jasper waggled his brows, pretending to thrust his hips. I rolled my eyes, but nodded subtly. “Bella, why don’t you take something?”

“I took some Advil Migraine, but my head is still throbbing,” she said. “Just let me rest.” She snuggled into my lap. I just ran my fingers through her curls and I heard some quiet snoring. Emmett and Ainsley came back with coffee, passing out the cups of coffee. I held a cup for Bella, knowing that caffeine will help her migraine, but she was sleeping deeply, based on how she was draped over me.

We eventually got onto the private Twilight jet. Bella nursed her coffee, but she was still struggling with her headache. She eventually buckled and took her stronger medication, curling up on one of the couches in the rear of the plane. An hour and half later, we landed in Baltimore, heading to our hotel, the Four Seasons. Bella was feeling better, but was a little loopy. She said that another hour’s worth of sleep, she’d be fine. Nia and Alice decided to hang out in our suite while us guys went to the arena to check out the stage.

“Have you met with the new security guards?” Jasper asked from the backseat of the SUV. “They can’t be nearly as cool as Ryan!”

Ryan, who was driving, smirked behind his black sunglasses. “Yeah, because I’m the shit. I met with the four new additions, Pete, Dick, Dennis and Kenny, during this break. They are all former military and will work closely with the security teams at the venues, as well as the police. We’ve gotten no new news about this stalker, but we’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“Can we have their contact information?” Emmett asked.

“I’ll send it to you,” Kellan replied. “More than likely, you will not be working with them, but it’s good for you to have those numbers if any of our core security team is unable to step in.” With a few swipes of his phone, we all got texts with pictures and contact information for the four men that Ryan mentioned.

We pulled up to the venue and were scanned upon entering. Kellan and Ryan were pleased with this addition. We went on the stage, checking our instruments and doing a quick mic check. Emmett played his new drums, pleased with the sound and the quality. Leo came out, his normally jovial face stern. “Hey, Leo. What’s up?” Kellan asked.

“Just don’t like this place. We couldn’t put up all of the pieces for the stage,” he shrugged. “Plus, we’re struggling with a feedback problem, but we’ll fix it by the time you have your mic check tomorrow afternoon.”

“But, there are no other problems? Broken instruments? Lights falling from the stage?” I asked.

“Oh, no! That’s all good. We checked and double checked everything, Mr. Cullen,” Leo nodded. “The security is extra tight which is great. We all have to wear our credentials if we’re working on the stage.” He wiggled his lanyard, making a face. “This damn thing keeps getting caught, but we have to wear it.”

“I’m glad that the security is tighter,” Kellan smiled. “Well, we’ll let you finish up on here. Despite your feelings about the stage, it looks great.” Leo wrinkled his nose and his mustache bristled. “We’ll be here at three tomorrow afternoon for sound check.” With a wave, we left the venue and picked up some food after getting the orders from the women.

Bella was looking better when we got back. She had her contacts in and she was nibbling on her cup of soup she’d ordered. However, she was still tired and would be until we’d get back from the lunchtime performance. Finishing our meals, we changed into some casual clothes, driving to the television station. Arriving there, makeup was applied to our faces, but Bella was fine thanks to Alice’s deft hand.

We performed three songs, acoustically, for the show. After each song, we were interviewed by the anchors. The female anchor was totally flirting with me, touching me and batting her eyelashes at me. Bella tactfully, but forcefully reminded the woman that we were married, but it didn’t stop her from palming my ass and putting in her cell phone number into my back pocket. Bella, who had almost no patience, almost went off on the woman, but I held her close, kissing her and blatantly showing how much I adored my wife.

Alice, Kellan, Jasper and Nia decided to spend the rest of the free afternoon wandering around Baltimore. Emmett was going to just relax in his hotel room while Bella and I were going to enjoy some quality time together. Bella wanted to sleep more and me, being a creeper, wanted to watch Bella sleep.

_God, I’m so pathetic._

The next day, we slept in late and went to the arena to do some rehearsal. Bella hadn’t seen the stage and we had to do sound checks. My wife was feeling much better. As a result, her inner-snark was out in full force, making up for lost time from yesterday. “The stage looks so … _small_ ,” Bella said, her nose wrinkled. “Why couldn’t we pull the whole thing forward so the LED screens above us could be assembled?”

“Not enough room,” Kellan said. “It would have eliminated almost three hundred seats. So, we get this.”

“Blech,” Bella muttered, turning her back so the sound technician could attach her mic pack. “Thank you.” She put her ear protection in her ears and walked to her wireless mic. We picked up our instruments, running through each of the songs and working through the pyrotechnics, lighting and sound cues. The show wasn’t nearly as dynamic without the overhead LED screens, but it would work for our performance tonight. However, our rehearsal fell flat. “Where is the energy?” Bella sked.

“I think we’ll kick it into gear once this is filled with an audience,” Jasper yawned. “We’re still on vacation mode.”

“If I were in vacation mode, I wouldn’t be wearing pants,” Emmett snorted. “Or a shirt or clothes. Nekkid … that’s how I roll.”

“None of us want to see that, Emmett,” Bella deadpanned. “You have a hairy ass and it’s slowly migrating up your back. You’re following in Dad’s footsteps.”

“I do NOT have a hairy back,” Emmett scoffed.

“Focus, people,” Kellan barked, holding back laughter. “Are we good for tonight? Anything else we need to address?”

“I think we’re good,” I replied. “We need some brain bleach, thanks to Emmett’s overshare, but good musically.”

“Okay. Food is going to be delivered in an hour and the doors will open an hour after that,” Kellan said, checking his watch. “Let’s start off our second leg of the tour and kick some major ass!” He pumped his fist, leaving the stage. Our mic packs were removed and we went backstage. The crew was already helping themselves to the buffet that was set up. We got in line, filling our plates and eating with the crew. Most of them were shocked since there was a clear separation between the crew and the performers. Bella and I hung out with the lighting technicians while Emmett chatted with the ‘roadies’ who set up our instruments at each stop. Nia and Jasper talked with the sound engineers, the guys who make us sound awesome in the back of the venue. We never saw them, but we knew that they worked their asses off.

After dinner, Nia and Alice took my wife to curl her hair and apply her makeup. In the green room, there was a Playstation set up. After we had changed, we took turns playing whatever games Emmett had in his duffel. The Cliff Hangers began their set as Bella came down, wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a skin-tight black tank top. Her hair was sleek and straight with dark, sultry makeup. We prayed and got ready for our performance. Before we went on stage, Bella pulled Jasper and Emmett aside. They both gave her a thumbs up. “What’s going on?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she smiled. She kissed me, sashaying onto the stage. The Cliff Hangers finished their set and the lights went down. Our mic packs were attached and we put in our ear protection. Seamlessly, we began our performance and as Jasper predicted, we kicked it into high gear once we had an audience in front of us. Between the fourth and fifth act, a roadie came out with an acoustic guitar. The lights were softened and Bella put the guitar over her body. “So, we just got off a brief hiatus. Do you all know why we took a few days off?” Bella asked. The crowd cheered and I vaguely heard my birthday. “Exactly! Edward turned twenty-seven. He’s an old fart.”

“I’m not,” I pouted.

“Says the guy who watches me sleep. Can we say creeper?” Bella giggled. The crowd laughed with her. “Creeper or not, Edward is my husband of almost six years. He’s my best friend and I love him very much … go ahead, say ‘awwwww!’” The audience obliged her and clapped. “Tonight, I’m premiering a new song. Edward doesn’t know about this because it’s a part of his birthday present. He made out like gangbusters. He got a new Ducati.”

“It’s a sweet bike,” I crowed. A picture of it shone behind us. “See? Fucking awesome.”

“Language, handsome,” Bella laughed. “We’ve got little ears in the audience.”

“Ooops, my bad,” I chuckled.

“He also got that blue guitar he’s been playing tonight,” Bella smiled. “My husband is spoiled. And now he’s going to get even more spoiled with the premier of this new song, ‘Until Forever Dies.’ This will be on our new album which will be released sometime next year.” Looking back at Jasper, she led them with a dip of the head of the guitar. It was a soft introduction, using finger picking and a shuffle beat with Emmett’s drums.

 _This is us,_  
Never alone.  
We have each other  
Whether in the same room  
Or by the phone,  
You will always be there.   
I know you’ll never leave,   
And there’s one thing I know,   
This is the truth. 

_We will be together_  
Until forever dies  
Until forever dies

 _Because I’m yours,_  
And you’re mine.   
Listening to your heart,   
A rhythm so fine,  
So much comfort,  
So much love.   
With only you I feel this,  
Not any other man  
Can I love so much. 

_We will be together_  
Until forever dies  
Until forever dies

 _Because we’re in love,_  
As everyone can see.   
Never a broken heart,  
Never a tear cried,   
You can hold me in your arms,  
And I’ll hold you in mine

_We will never let go  
Until the end of time. _

_We will never let go_  
Until the end of time.  
‘Cause I will never leave you,  
And you won’t leave me

 _We will be together_  
Until forever dies  
Until forever dies*

Bella’s fingers slowed and with a flourish, the song came to an elegant end. She removed her acoustic guitar, handing it to the waiting roadie, thanking him. I strode across the stage, my own guitar in its holder. I took Bella’s face in my hands, kissing her deeply. The crowd was screaming for more and she clung to my shirt as I practically bent her over. “ _Cantante,_ ” I whispered against her lips. “Oh my goodness … that was …”

“You can thank me properly later,” she said, her fingers twining in my sweaty hair. “This was what I was working on.” She kissed me again and stepped out of my embrace. Gesturing to me, the crowd roared. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pumped my fist above her. The crowd’s cheers grew louder. She laughed, blushing a brilliant red. She could perform in front of thousands of people, but she still struggled with getting praise. Waving her hand, we continued onto the next act of the show, wrapping it up in forty-five minutes. After our encores, we left the stage and I was barely out of my mic pack when I pinned Bella against the wall, tongue-fucking her mouth in gratitude for the gorgeous piece of music that she’d written for me.

“Do I need to break out the hose?” Kellan teased.

“Did you hear that song?” I asked, staring into Bella’s eyes. “Back off, Moore.”

“You can’t fuck her back here, Edward. Wait until you get to the hotel,” Emmett said, his voice straining. “There are parts of my sister that I should not see.”

“Feeling’s mutual, Emmett McCarty Swan,” Bella growled as I released her from the wall. I kept close to her, needing to touch her since I was desperate for her. We stayed backstage, waiting for the crowds to dissipate. An hour after the show, we got onto the bus and drove back to the Four Seasons. I wanted nothing more than to tear my wife’s clothes with my teeth and then make love to her all night long.

In the lobby of the hotel, the concierge approached us. “We heard nothing but amazing things, Mr. Cullen, about the concert. I just wanted to let you know that you had a delivery while you were performing. One of our managers delivered it to your room,” she said.

“What was the delivery?” Kellan asked.

“A lovely bouquet of flowers,” she replied, smiling brightly. Despite the high of the night, my heart fell to my toes. Kellan clenched his fists, blinking over to Ryan. Bella whimpered next to me and I held her close to me. The concierge saw the change in our demeanor. “Was I not to deliver them?”

“We’ll see,” Ryan growled. “We’ve been dealing with a situation with Mr. and Mrs. Cullen.”

“Yes, I read the memorandum from my boss,” she nodded. “There was nothing about floral deliveries …”

“I thought we included that,” Kellan muttered. “Can I see that memorandum?” She nodded, scurrying behind the front desk and handing Kellan a paper. He scanned it, his lips pursed. “This was the email I sent, but I forgot about the flowers. I apologize. You didn’t know.” He handed the paper back. “I’ll send out a revised note to the upcoming hotels and venues. I dropped the ball.”

“It’s okay, Kellan,” Bella said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Let’s just go upstairs,” I growled. I nuzzled Bella’s hair and kissed below her ear. “We’re safe, baby.”

“They know where we are,” she hissed. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, following Ryan and the rest of the band to the elevators. We rode up to the top floor and Ryan used my key to check our suite. He did a sweep, checking for anything other than the flowers. He came out, his face impassive and told us it was okay. On the dining room table, there was a large bouquet of orange lilies. “Can you check if there’s a note, Ryan?”

“Of course, Mrs. Cullen,” he said formerly. He rooted around in the flowers, wearing gloves. He pulled out a tiny envelope and he grit his teeth. “Shall I open it?”

“Another clue,” Jasper snarled.

“Another form of fucking torture,” I snapped. “I thought that this asshole disappeared. We didn’t hear boo while we were on hiatus.”

“That’s because they didn’t know where in the hell you were,” Kellan snorted derisively. “What does it say, Ryan?”

“One word: HATRED,” he said, holding up the tiny card.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Bella muttered. Nia and Ainsley grabbed her, pulling her across the hall and I heard my wife throw up in the bathroom.

“Would anyone be upset if we left Baltimore early?” Kellan asked, his face fierce and his posture tense.

“I think that would be best,” I said, my body zapped of all energy. “We can check into the hotel in Norfolk. How long’s the drive?”

“Four hours. Alice, can you make arrangements for our hotel?” Kellan asked.

“Already on it,” she chirped, her Bluetooth in her ear.

“Let’s get packed up and meet down by the buses in an hour,” Kellan sighed, scrubbing his face. “Ryan, find out more information about this … make it stop … do whatever you do to make it better.”

“I’ll do my best, Mr. Moore,” Ryan replied, his voice determined.

We all separated, Ryan following me as I packed up Bella’s and my clothing. It was haphazard and I knew that I’d get yelled at, but it didn’t matter. We needed to the fuck out of dodge. I pulled out a pair of yoga pants and a loose shirt for Bella. I quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, slamming on a hat after I’d showered. Emmett and Kellan came and got our luggage. Emmett looked so sad and I knew that Bella was an absolute mess. Pushing into Jasper and Nia’s room, I found my wife curled up in a ball. She was still wearing her concert attire and her eyes were wide with fear. I helped her into the comfy clothes. When I was done, she flew into my arms, clinging to me. “We’re leaving, _cantante_. We’ll be safe. I promise you.”

I carried her out of the room and road down the elevator with Ryan and Max. They led us out the back entrance. Still in my arms, I got onto the bus and into the back bedroom, closing and locking the door. Curling around my wife, I held her as closely as I could.

What should have been an amazing night, debuting a new song and my wife serenading me, turned into a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Whoever this stalker was – they knew how to get under our skin; how to terrify us. I just prayed that I could protect my wife from this nightmare.

**A/N: Yeah, we had some citrusy goodness and we continued the Midnight Sun tour, but an old enemy came back to haunt our two favorite lovers. Who do you think it could be?**

**Now, pictures of Baltimore and the venue in Baltimore are on my blog, not to mention the flowers, too. You can find that link for the blog on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and Twitter, too: tufano79. Up next will be Norfolk, Raleigh and leading up to Washington DC. Leave me some loving!**

***The poem listed in this chapter, used for Bella’s song for Edward, Until Forever Dies, is adapted by an original work by ©Serbec. I’m not, by any stretch, a poet. THIS POEM IS NOT MINE.**


	12. A Capital Fourth

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Thank you for being patient with me with the delays in updates. I’ve been struggling with real life and balancing my writing time with relaxing and my new position. Things have settled down, but I’m also on break. Anyway, I’m planning to get some chapters under my belt and continue updating. I’m planning on the updates to happen on _every_ other Thursday, with the first one coming up on January 5 th with the next happening on my birthday (January 19th). Teasers will come on the off weeks. **

**Up next will be Norfolk, Raleigh and leading up to Washington DC.**

**Chapter Twelve: A Capital Fourth**

**BPOV**

I don’t remember performing in Norfolk, but I did. I was on auto pilot. Edward was concerned, I knew that, but I was trying to detach myself from all feelings.

Okay, not feelings … the _terror_ of what was happening to us. However, it was fruitless.

I had nightmares. Absolutely scary, awful nightmares that assaulted my subconscious as I slept. So, I tried to sleep as little as possible. I drank copious amounts of coffee. I kept the tour bus frigidly cold so I couldn’t comfortable enough to sleep. I watched television and listened to music so loudly that I feared for my hearing.

“Beautiful,” Edward said, approaching me as we drove to Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina. “ _Cantante_ , you were spacing out. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?” I blinked up at him, frowning as I saw him a heavy fleece, shivering from my overbearing steps to keep myself awake.

“I have to work on answering these fan letters,” I said, my voice devoid of any emotions.

Edward closed my laptop, putting it behind him in one of the cabinets. “No. You need to sleep,” he said, his eyes red and exhausted. “We both need to sleep.”

“I can’t sleep,” I whispered. “The ride’s short, Edward. I’m fine.”

“Everyone needs sleep,” Edward sighed, tugging on his hair. “You can’t stay awake much longer. It’s been almost two days.” He sat down, tugging me into his lap. “Bella, you can’t keep going like this. I know you’re scared.”

“Scared?” I asked, shuffling out of his arms. “Scared? You think I’m scared? I’m terrified! I haven’t felt like this since the whole ordeal with Jacob and that was small potatoes. My ex-boyfriend was fucked up, but this person is threatening to kill us. He’s taunting us with these bullshit flowers, the letters … The nightmares are … I see you die, Edward. If you die, I die. I can’t live without you.”

“Bella, we have protection. Ryan and the Pandora crew are already in Raleigh, tearing apart the PNC Arena. We are under constant watch. But, you must have faith in them,” Edward breathed, taking my face in his hands. “Nothing will happen to us. To you. To me.”

“How do you know?” I asked, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Are you God?”

“Far from it,” he snorted, sitting on the floor and holding me in his lap. “I just know that I trust in the team.”

“The flowers are still being delivered, Edward,” I sobbed. “How can you trust them? The threats are still coming. They’ll keep coming. I can’t …” He crushed me to his chest and held me as I fell apart. We sat there until we pulled up to the hotel. The door opened. I didn’t hear anything, but the door quickly closed and the bus was moving again. “Where are we going?”

“Back entrance. There are paparazzi,” Edward said. Arriving in the back of the hotel, we were ushered out of the bus and into our suites. Edward and I had an adjoining room with Kellan and Alice, with two of the security team staying in the room across the hallway. Inside of the suite, Edward glared at Kellan. “We don’t want to be disturbed. I know we’re supposed to have some meet and greet tonight, but we’re too …”

“I’ve already canceled it, Edward,” Alice said. “Illness.”

“Thank you, Ali,” Edward said. “We’ll be at the venue by sound check. Do not attempt to contact us until then.” He guided me into the suite, moving to the bed. He closed the door, locking it and walking back to me. “You’re going to sleep, Bella.”

“I can’t,” I whispered.

“Bella, the nightmares …” he sighed, tugging on his hair. “I know they are scary, but staying awake is _not_ the answers.” He dug in his bags, pulling out a bottle. “A minor sedative. Carlisle prescribed it for you and me.”

“I don’t want it,” I said stubbornly. “I’m not sleeping.”

“God damn it, Bella!” he snarled. “You’re a fucking zombie. I get why you’re scared. I’m just as terrified, but I’m not letting this monster win.” He opened the bottle and shook out two pills. “One for you, one for me.” I glared at him. “I hate this as much as you, beautiful, but you need … _we_ need to rest.”

I took the pill and glowered at it. “What is this?”

“Xanax,” he said, showing me the bottle. “The dosage is a bit stronger than your usual Ativan.”

I put the pill in my mouth, swallowing it dry. Edward did the same and removed my shoes and socks. Tucking me in the bed, he caressed my cheek. “I’m going to the bathroom and I’ll be right by your side.”

“You don’t hate me?” I asked.

“Never, beautiful,” he said, a sad smile gracing his handsome face. “I’m worried about you. I’m worried about all of this. It’s wreaking havoc on us as a band and us as a couple.”

I nodded, exhaustion pulling me under, coupled by the sedative that had been prescribed. He kissed my forehead, ducking into the bathroom. As he was crawling back into bed, sleep was washing over me and for the first time in almost three days, I’d slept.

Waking up at some point the following day, I was stiff, sore and had a monstrous headache. I whimpered, rubbing my temples and burying myself deeper into the bed.

“Come on, Isabelly,” came the quiet voice of my brother. “You need to eat something. Alice and Nia are going to be in here in an hour to make you gorgeous for the show tonight.” I poked my head out, seeing the blurry form of Emmett. “Nice hair, sis!”

“Fuck you,” I growled, clumsily walking to the bathroom. I searched for my glasses after I responded to the call of nature. “Have you seen my glasses?”

“Here,” Emmett said, handing me my frames. “They were on the nightstand.”

“Thanks,” I replied, putting them on my face. “How long were we asleep?”

“You were down for almost twenty-four hours,” Emmett chuckled. “Edward got up earlier this morning and went over to the PNC Arena to check out every square inch of the stage and backstage area. He’s become quite diligent about ensuring your safety.”

“I freaked him out,” I said, running my fingers through the mess of curls on my head. “I need to shower, Em. I’m a hot mess.”

“You need to eat, Bella,” he argued. “When was the last time you had something to eat?”

“I need to shower more than eat now,” I sighed. “I’ll eat after I get the grime of sleeping for almost a day off my body. Okay?” My shower was long as I let the rivulets of hot water pound on my back. I scrubbed and felt somewhat human when I got out. I was putting on some lotion when there was a quiet knock on the door. “I’m almost done, Emmett.”

“Emmett had to take a call, beautiful,” Edward said through the door. I opened the door and smiled timidly when I saw my husband. “You look better.”

“I still feel like a zombie,” I said. “But, I smell better.”

“It’ll take time until you will catch on sleep, Bella,” Edward said, turning me around and running my brush through my hair. “We’re leaving immediately after the show and coming back here. We’re staying her another day and the driving to Washington D.C.”

“I don’t like the idea of traveling the same day of a show,” I argued.

“We need rest and you slept hard, without any sort of nightmares last night,” Edward said, rubbing some of my lotion into my shoulders. “It may have been the medications, but you were comfortable here. We’re staying.”

“Okay,” I said, leaning against him. “I’m sorry for being so irrational, Edward.”

“It’s not irrational. I just spent almost six hours combing over every inch on the stage and backstage for any breaches in security,” he snorted humorlessly. “You tried to keep the nightmares away by not sleeping. I’m trying by being involved in our protection.” He lifted his shirt, revealing his gun strapped to his belt. “Yeah, I’m freaking out, too.”

“Was the PNC Arena clear?” I asked.

“Yes,” he nodded, his jaw set. “And there are some local Pandora employees guarding the doors and staying back at the hotel to ensure that this place is not breached.”

“You sound like Ryan,” I said, walking into suite. I put on a pair of panties and slipped on one of Edward’s button-downs. In the main room, there was a spread of food. I made a dish of eggs, pancakes and fresh fruit. Pouring a cup of coffee, I settled onto the couch and nibbled on the food. “Was there any fallout from our canceling the meet and greet?”

“Some, but if you’re sick, you’re sick,” Edward said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “They don’t need to know that your illness, our illness was simply exhaustion.” He swiped a grape from my plate. “Are you okay, Bella?”

“I’m …” I began and he arched a brow. “I’m still terrified, but I’ll survive. Another good night’s sleep will help me get my head on straight.” I looked at him. He was just as exhausted as I was. “How much sleep did you get?”

“Enough,” he said. “My bladder woke me up. After that, I couldn’t get back to sleep. So, I worked out with Kellan and Max before heading to the arena.” We stayed quiet, munching on the food but I wasn’t really tasting it. Edward’s hand was running along my leg and he wrapped his arms around me when I put the plate on the table. “You okay to perform tonight?”

“I will be,” I smiled. “Thank you for out-stubborning me.”

“It’s my job as your husband,” he chuckled, kissing my forehead and smiling against my hair. There was a quiet knock on the door. He kissed me tenderly, getting up. Alice and Nia came in. “You’re going to pouf her?”

“Yep,” Alice chirped. “You are getting a haircut at the spa. So, get out.” Edward snorted, kissing me once more before leaving me in the capable hands of Nia and Alice. I put on some shorts and my hair was dried, curled and pinned up in a half up-do. Nia handed me the outfit for the evening. It was a fun, flirty dress. With my makeup applied, we met up with the boys in main lobby. We got into one of the buses, driving to the PNC Arena.

We went through sound checks and had a VIP party prior to the start of our show. I was still on edge, but managed to smile for our fans, take pictures and sign autographs. Edward was right in the fact that our stalker had no choice in how we act with our fans. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be on this national tour. Just as the Cliff Hangers began their set, the party broke up. We began our pre-show rituals, ending with our usual prayer.

Our performance in Raleigh-Durham was good, but not one of our best. That was due in part to the exhaustion. I tried my hardest to give a lot of energy, but it was like walking through mud. Edward was in the same, but he faked it better than I did. The only time I was energized was when I performed Edward’s song. It was well-received and Twilight, our producer Jared wanted it recorded as soon as possible.

During our break in Washington D.C., we were going to record the song and release it as a single sometime after the July Fourth weekend. However, all I wanted was another good night’s sleep. The sooner, the better.

xx LMDC xx

After another lazy day, we left Raleigh-Durham and drove to our nation’s capital. I’d never been. In middle school, the eighth-grade class went to Washington D.C. over a long weekend. Neither Emmett or I could go because it was too expensive. Our classmates came back with pictures and memories, while Charlie made promises of taking us when he had the money to go.

That never came. Charlie got injured and money grew even tighter when Emmett started college

Now, Breaking Midnight was singing at the Verizon Center later this afternoon and we’d perform at the Capital Fourth on July Fourth, performing some favorite patriotic rock tunes. We were singing “God Bless the USA,” by Lee Greenwood and “Remember the Heroes” by Sammy Hagar. On top of our two performances, we were going to record “Until Forever Dies,” and do some exploring.

“We’re going to have to go directly to the Verizon Center,” Kellan said, checking his phone. “Ryan and his team have checked the location and it’s clear. We won’t have time to check into the hotel.”

“Does the Verizon Center have showers?” Edward asked, wrinkling his nose. “I was more interested in sleeping than showering.”

“They do,” Kellan snorted.

“Edward, you’re so gross,” Alice shuddered. “How can you stand him, Bells?”

“I’m in the same boat,” I snickered.

“Ewww!” Alice moaned. “You both are a match made in the garbage dump!”

“Don’t be hating. Sleeping is far more necessary than showers,” Kellan said, tapping something on his iPad. “Ali, not all of us are as fastidious about germs and smelling like a proverbial rose as you, my dear.”

“Why am I dating you?” Alice deadpanned.

“Because I’ve got a huge cock,” Kellan retorted, arching a brow. “And I do wicked things with my tongue.”

“I don’t need to know that,” Edward growled. “I can still kick your ass, Kellan. Alice is my sister and I don’t need to know your bedroom activities. Talk about ‘ewwww!’”

“Duly noted,” Kellan chuckled. “Sorry, Edward.”

My husband waved his hand dismissively and snuggled next to me. Our fingers twined together and we made our way to the venue. Inside, we separated and took showers in the locker rooms. Alice took extra time to make me look sassy, but sexy. Though, my hair was curly and reminiscent of something from the nineties. “Ali, this voluminous mess that you are making out of my hair, it’s big.”

“I wanted to try something different,” Alice said, spraying my mess of chestnut curls with some hairspray.

“Alice, I wore my hair like this when I was in college and you said that it was not a good look,” I deadpanned, stepping away from her fretting hands. I smoothed my hair with my hands, pulling it into a low ponytail. “This is better.”

“Can I add some bangs to soften it up?” Alice asked, brandishing a pair of sheers. I wrinkled my nose, but nodded. She gave me some long bangs, sweeping them along my face. She used the curling iron, adding some soft tendrils. “There. Better?”

“Slightly,” I snorted. “Now, before you put on my makeup, I want to eat some dinner.”

“Me, too,” she smiled, guiding me to the green room where a buffet was set up. Jasper and Emmett already had their plates filled with the Mexican food catered in by Twilight. I was covered by a robe and I made my plate, sitting down next to Kellan and Nia. We talked a bit about the plan for the Capital Fourth and an itinerary for our brief vacation in Washington D.C., after we recorded “Until Forever Dies.”

“I think ordering Mexican was not a wise decision,” Edward grumbled, sitting down next to me. “I just walked past your brother and it was _bad_.”

“He’s all the way back, behind the drums,” I snickered. “We won’t have to smell him.”

“I feel bad for the stage crew,” Edward said, digging into his tacos. “Should we add some patriotic music to the set? Perhaps in the encore? Jasper mentioned it.”

“We signed a contract with the production company. We can’t perform the music until _after_ the taping,” Kellan said. “We could do some other patriotic music, but I know that you’ve only rehearsed the two songs.”

“It was a nice sentiment,” I murmured, taking Edward’s hand. He leaned over, kissing my neck and smiling against my skin. “What about ‘There Will Come a Day?’ You could play the keyboard. We’ve done it before.”

“I like it. We’ll add it to the encore and Kellan, can we add some fireworks graphics to the LED screens?” Edward asked.

“That we can do,” Kellan beamed, shooting up and pressing his phone to his ear. He barked out directions to Lou and ‘There Will Come a Day’ was added to our encore, just prior to ‘La Musica del Cuore.’

After eating, I had my makeup done and we went up for a sound check, albeit brief. The doors were opening soon. Once done with the sound check, we used some acoustic instruments to rehearse our latest song added to the concert. Edward growled at how out of tune the upright piano was, but it served its purpose. A few run-throughs and my perfectionist husband felt we were good enough to perform, though he would have wanted about twenty more rehearsals.

“The Cliff Hangers are finishing up their set,” Lou barked, poking his head into the room we’d commandeered for our rehearsal. “We need to get you set up with your mic packs.”

We went up to the stage, having our ear protection put on. The Cliff Hangers finished their set and they scrambled off the stage. The screens lit up with our music filled the arena. We got onto stage, taking our places and listening to Lou for our cue to take over playing the music.

The performance was stronger, better than the past three concerts combined. The crowd was excited, interactive and enthusiastic. We fed off the energy. Edward was flirtatious with me, his eyes dark with desire. I bit my lip, sidling up next to him giving him my own bedroom eyes. It had been a long time since we’d made love. I was going through withdrawals. From his hungry look, Edward was feeling the same way.

We finished the concert, walking off the stage and sucking down water. “The crowd was on fire tonight!” Emmett said. “I can’t believe it!”

“We needed this,” Jasper said, stripping out of his shirt and putting on a new one. “The past few shows have been _meh._ ”

“The shows were _meh_ because we were _meh,_ ” I said. “And that’s my fault.”

“No, it’s not your fault, _cantante_ ,” Edward whispered, caressing my cheek with his large, warm hand.

“Guys … the natives are getting restless,” Lou chuckled.

Nodding, we went back out there and performed our six pieces, along with “There Will Come a Day” for our encore. The crowd went absolutely bonkers when Edward took a spot behind the Yamaha grand piano that had been rolled onto the stage. I took up his acoustic guitar for the performance and it was a magical moment, making the hairs on my arms stand up on end.

“Thank you, Washington, D.C.!” Edward yelled. “You’ve been a great audience and we can’t wait to come back!” He kissed me, waving to the audience and we left the stage.

“We should go out! Party!” Jasper said excitedly. “What are some great clubs here?”

“You can go to a club, Jas,” Edward smiled. “We’re still recovering from lack of sleep.”

“Liar,” Jasper laughed. “You just want to fuck each other like rabbits.”

“So?” I countered.

“It’s been a long day,” Kellan chuckled. “How about we make plans to go out tomorrow after we finish our recording session? A spur of the moment outing is kind of a challenge with all of the security precautions.”

“You’re right, but we’re going to light it up tomorrow,” Jasper said, nodding. “Dancing, drinking, partying and celebrating.”

“Well, some of us will _not_ be drinking,” Emmett said, shooting Jasper a wry grin. “I’ll be the voice of reason.”

“For now, let’s head to the hotel. Nia and Alice checked us in,” Kellan explained. “Greg and Ainsley checked the hotel and everything is clear, as far as we know.”

“No random deliveries?” Edward asked, his voice hardening.

“Your bills,” Kellan snickered.

“I’ll gladly take those over threatening flowers any day,” I said dryly. “But, I’m looking forward to going out tomorrow. It’ll be fun to let loose. For now? Let’s go to the hotel and get some rest.”

“Rest? Unlikely,” Edward growled against my ear. His hand squeezed my ass. “We’ll have our own personal celebration and rest is not on the list of things I want to do. I want to fuck you senseless, Isabella Marie Cullen.” I responded with whimper, leaning against him. “Shall we go?” Edward asked, tugging me away.

“Perv boy attacks again,” Kellan laughed.

xx LMDC xx

Edward and I fell asleep just as the sun was coming up. We both were thoroughly sexed up, sore and happy. Edward held me to his body, his hand on my bare ass as I was practically draped over his naked body. However, it made our wakeup call at eleven a bit brutal. Both of us didn’t want to move, but we had a recording studio from noon until three. We dressed comfortably. I moved a little stiffly.

“Feeling me, _cantante_ ,” Edward purred, his large hand wrapping around my waist.

“Oh, yes,” I snickered. “I’m out of commission, thanks to your monstrous cock.”

He pouted, kissing me tenderly. “Perhaps I can lick your pussy and make you feel better?” he asked, tracing a finger down my cheek.

“Out of commission,” I giggled. “Even to your tongue. We made up for many nights and _she’s_ tired.”

“So is he,” Edward laughed, hugging me to his body. “We’ll dance tonight, but give our bodies a chance to recover. Though, I don’t think I could go that long without making love to my wife again.”

“It was four days, Edward,” I deadpanned, tossing my hair into a messy bun and putting on some light makeup.

“Far too long,” he quipped, kissing my neck.

We finished getting ready and met everyone down in the lobby of the hotel with their guitar and bass cases. A set of drums would be provided by the studio, as well as the piano. We rode in a SUV to the studio, setting up in one of the larger studios. We rehearsed the song several times before laying down the accompaniment track where Edward and I would share lead vocals. I had written it for him, but Jared suggested that it would stronger as a duet. However, we were going to record it as the duet but also as a solo for me.

We were nearing the end of our time in the recording studio. My voice was starting to become fatigued and the exhaustion from our all-night smexing was catching up with me. “One more run-through,” Kellan said. “Then, we’ll be done!”

“Duet or solo?” I asked, sucking down some water.

“To save your voice, duet,” Kellan said, his brows furrowing. “After this, take it easy, Bells. I can hear a rawness to your voice.”

“It hurts,” I said. “Should we get me seen by a doctor?”

“I’ll get the name of an ENT,” Kellan said as Edward came into the smaller recording studio. We huddled around the microphone, singing the song for what felt like the millionth time. The song ended and once Kellan turned off the mic, I finished my water, whimpering at how much my throat hurt. Exiting out of the studio, Kellan was on the phone. “Okay, we’ll be there in an hour.” He hung up, smiling at me.

“You got an appointment?” Edward asked.

“When you’re the lead singer of one of the hottest bands, you get seen,” Kellan chuckled. “However, the nurse told me to tell you to not talk until the appointment and to keep hydrated.” I gave him a tiny smile, sipping my water and we got into the car, stopping to get some chicken noodle soup on the way. I ate that, enjoying the warmth on my overused voice. Edward held me in his lap, looking at me worriedly.

In the doctor’s office, I went through some vocal exercises and I was scoped. That was the most unpleasant experience. Ever. A fiber optic camera was threaded down my nose and took video as I sang several passages. However, thanks to the scope, it was determined that my vocal folds were just inflamed. I was put on vocal rest, meaning I couldn’t talk, sing or hum, until the performance on July Fourth. The doctor also told me to get as much rest as possible, drink a lot of water and to avoid alcohol, as it would dry out my voice. With a printout of the treatment, we left the doctor’s office and went back to the hotel.

After further discussion – I used my cell phone to text to voice my opinion – we decided to _not_ go out tonight. Edward and I hunkered down in the hotel suite, watching some pay-per-view and enjoying some quiet time. There was no lovemaking, as I was sore and I had a tendency to scream when I climaxed. We just curled up on the bed, enjoying a quiet, relaxing evening. The next day, we slept in and went exploring along the National Mall. We were dressed comfortably, looking at the various monuments, taking pictures and acting like tourists. We were recognized, but people were respectful of our mini-vacation. Only a handful of fans approached us and we gladly took pictures with them.

It was tough not being able to talk, but I made do.

We did go out to a club that same evening, cutting loose and dancing to the heavy beats of the bass drums and synthesized, electronic music. Edward and I danced flirtatiously, but it was nice to have fun with our friends and family. Emmett danced with Alice and Nia, even going out to the dance floor with me. He drank water or soda, keeping his wits about him and ignoring the lustful stares of the numerous women who had taken a liking to him.

Around two in the morning, once the club closed, we went back to the hotel. We went to bed and decided to take things easy the following day, going to one of the many Smithsonian Museums if we felt up to it. However, I was more interested in resting and vegetating in the hotel. Edward dangled a couple’s massage and we went down to the spa, enjoying some much-needed pampering. I even had a pedicure and a facial while Edward had a barber’s shave.

“How’s your voice?” Edward asked. “Do you still feel the rawness?”

I tapped out a response on my cell phone. _Not anymore. I’m grateful for the time to get better. I’m afraid, though, that I’ll sound like a dying cat tomorrow at this NATIONALLY BROADCAST SPECIAL._ I arched a brow, showing my panic.

“Try to say something, beautiful,” he whispered.

“Edward,” I said, my voice rough and raspy. “Ugh, that’s bad.”

“We’ll warm you up and you’ll get through these two songs,” he said reassuringly. “Does it hurt?”

“Not like before,” I answered. Edward pointed to the cell phone. _Do you think I’ll need to stay on vocal rest?_

“Kellan is going to have the doctor examine you before we go to Lexington, Kentucky,” Edward murmured, hugging me to his body. “We’ll make sure that this vocal fatigue will not turn into something more serious.” He pulled back, cupping my cheek. “Tonight, more soup and no talking.”

 _I miss talking,_ I said, pouting deeply. _I miss screaming your name._

“Bella, you’re not helping,” he growled. “I won’t be able to control myself.” I smiled coyly, knowing that I was driving him up the wall. He paid for our services in the spa and left a hefty tip. We went back up to our room, sharing some soup and watching a baseball game.

The next day, I worked with the doctor and his nurse, checking on my voice. It was better, but after the performance tonight, I was to remain on vocal rest until our next concert in Lexington, Kentucky. After I was cleared by the doctor, Alice and Nia put on my makeup and helped me get dressed for the show. I was wearing a red dress with sapphire jewelry and a pair of heels. Edward was going to wear a pair of dark jeans with a button=down shirt that matched my dress. Jasper decided on a white button down with a navy-blue vest and Emmett was the most casual, wearing an American Flag t-shirt.

We were performing on the stage outside of the Capital Building. When we arrived, we were scanned within an inch of our lives and once we were cleared, we were led to the stage. We went through sound check and made sure everything was being broadcast appropriately. As the sun began to dip, the special began in earnest. We could hear the sound of the orchestra on the opposite side of the large field where the concert was located. Patriotic music flitted across the humid air. About a third of the way through the hour and half special, we got ready to perform our first song. Edward, after the suggestion from the doctor and Kellan, decided to take lead on “Remember the Heroes.” I was playing guitar, adding harmonies.

Our second song was just before the fireworks. I began the song, singing it and playing up the roughness of my voice. Edward sang the second verse and the three of us sang the chorus, shocking the crowd with our tightly woven harmonies. As we finished the song, the orchestra took over and there was medley of patriotic songs as the fireworks exploded over the skies. Edward stood next to me, smiling widely. “Happy Fourth of July, _cantante_ ,” he whispered.

“This has got to be my favorite holiday. Ever,” I breathed, kissing him sweetly.

“No talking,” he chuckled, wrapping his arms around me. We snuggled together, watching the fireworks and celebrate the birth of our nation.

**A/N: I had a plan and I changed it, slightly. Originally, I was going to stop just prior to Washington, but decided to get through it. Pictures of the venues in this chapter in Norfolk, Raleigh-Durham and Washington D.C. are on my blog. You can also find musical teasers with the three songs that were listed in this chapter:**

**“There Will Come a Day” by Faith Hill**  
“Remember the Heroes,” by Sammy Hagar  
“God Bless the USA,” by Lee Greenwood

**Up next will be the trip to Lexington, Kentucky, and escalation in the stalker. What will happen next? Leave me some loving! Thanks for reading! ;-)**


	13. Escalating Tension

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be the trip to Lexington, Kentucky, and escalation in the stalker. What will happen next?**

**Chapter Thirteen: Escalating Tension**

**EPOV**

“Mr. Moore, there was a package delivered to your room,” said the concierge as we walked into the lobby of the hotel in Washington. “It was from the record company. And smaller envelope, too.”

“I think that’s the single,” Kellan beamed, dragging all of us into the elevator. We made it into his suite that he was obviously sharing with Alice. He grabbed the box, tearing into it excitedly. “Yes! Listen!” He took the flash drive and plugged it into his computer, turning up the tiny speakers. It was an amazing mix of our duet and the song as a solo. “I’m impressed with the engineer. This is fantastic work.”

“You can hardly tell that my voice was dying,” Bella said, her voice still raspy.

“No talking,” I chided. She nodded, zipping her lips and twining her fingers with mine, idly running her finger across my wedding band. “I like how they morphed the two versions together.”

“From what I’m reading, this is going to be the single,” Kellan said, skimming over the letter. “It’ll be sent out to radio stations tonight and the single will be released next week. Both versions will be on that record you’re putting out at the end of the month with the instrumental and previously unreleased material.”

“The end of July?” Jasper asked, sipping some water.

Kellan nodded. “We need to do a photo shoot for the cover. Also, _Rolling Stone_ wants to an interview with the band. They will meet up with us in Chicago and document our shows at Wrigley Field. I’m assuming that this is the letter from _Rolling Stone_ , introducing the reporter.” He picked up the envelope, tearing it open and gasping. “The fuck?!”

“What is it?” Emmett asked.

“Call the police,” Kellan choked out, dropping the contents of the envelope on the bed. There were two pictures of Bella and I, photoshopped to look like we were dead. Bella’s eyes were milky and unfocused, with a gaping wound along her neck. I looked like I was charred. Or, at least, I thought it was me. Bella whimpered, wavering next to me. I took her, sitting her on the couch and crouching in front of her. “Go to your suites. I’ll handle this.”

“You’re not the one who has a picture of your corpse on the bed, Kellan,” I snapped.

“But it was sent to me,” Kellan barked back. “Go back to your suite. Your wife looks like she’s about to pass out.”

I turned back to Bella, who was white as a sheet. I scooped her up, carrying her to our suite. I took out her medications, handing it to her. “You’re okay, Bella.”

“They’re going to kill us,” she choked out. She gripped arms, her eyes wild. “I thought … I thought …”

“Shhhh, baby,” I said soothingly. “I know. I’m just as scared as you.”

“When is this going to stop?” she sobbed, collapsing against my chest. I held her tightly, hating that my other half was in such agony. We stayed tangled together until there was a quiet knock on the door. I tried to get up, but Bella screamed. “Don’t go!”

“I’m answering the door, _cantante_ ,” I whispered. She sniffled, letting go of my hand. I went to the door, opening it up. Kellan was there with two police officers and two other people, wearing suits. “That was fast.”

“This is Detectives Kim and Morena and Agents Torres and Mulcahey,” Kellan said, guiding them into the suite. “They are assigned to our case.” I shook hands with them, guiding them into the living area. “I’ve told them about our previous run-ins with this stalker.”

“Can we do anything?” Bella asked, sniffling. “This has got to stop.”

“We spoke with the detective in Los Angeles,” Agent Torres said, sitting down and taking out a pad of paper. “The people you mentioned to her, they fell off the face of the planet.”

“James and Victoria? They don’t exist?” I asked.

“No. They haven’t filed taxes in almost two years for Victoria, and three for James,” Torres said. “That’s why I think it’s them.”

“I disagree,” Detective Kim scoffed. “We’re investigating a similar stalker in the D.C. area that uses flowers, photoshopped pictures and threatening letters.”

“How long has that stalker been stalking?” Mulcahey asked, arching a brow.

“Years,” Kim said, smiling smugly.

“From what Kellan described, their problems began a few weeks ago, in Los Angeles. Not here, in Washington,” Torres retorted. “And the victims are college-aged girls, nineteen to twenty, blonde. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen don’t match the profile.”

“He’s right, Tom,” Detective Morena said. “The stalker in the area is not the same.” She turned to Bella, looking at her sympathetically. “We took the pictures and they’re being sent to forensics, along with the letter.”

“There was a letter?” I asked.

“Quite graphic,” Kellan said, his face ghostly pale. “I lost my dinner.”

“This is getting worse,” Bella whispered, tugging on my hand. I sat down next to her, holding her to my body. “What can we do? This needs to stop.”

“I agree,” I muttered. “We’ve got twenty-four-hour security and yet these threats are still coming in. Those pictures … they look …”

“They were taken from the internet,” Morena explained. She pulled up the original photos and handed her phone to Bella and I. “The photo of Mrs. Cullen was from one of the inserts of your CDs. Mr. Cullen’s manipulated photo was from a magazine article.”

“So, it wasn’t anyone taking photos of us,” Bella said, pressing her hand to her chest.

“ _Cantante,_ you need to stop talking,” I whispered. “Remember what the doctor said.” Bella scowled, but picked up a pad of paper. “My wife is dealing with vocal fatigue and is under medical advice to not speak unless absolutely necessary.”

“Understood,” Torres said. “After speaking with Detective Coleman and your security team, the FBI is taking over the case. Here is my card and we’ll begin working on this in earnest. We’ll also inform the field offices in each of the cities you’re traveling to for the remainder of your tour.”

“What about these packages?” Kellan asked.

“Any packages delivered to any of you will be checked first by agents,” Torres said. “Or local police.”

“For now, we’re going to see if we can gather any forensics from these photos and the letter,” Mulcahey explained. “We’ll be in touch. For now, we suggest that you continue your routines as normal. You can’t give the stalker any indication that you’re onto them.”

“But, it’s hard not to,” I whispered. Bella nodded, scribbling on the pad of paper. She held it up, pointing at it.

_They have to know what they’re doing with us. They’re sending us these packages! They’ve got to be watching us and LAUGHING! Or planning a detailed way to slice us up into pieces. I don’t know how much more I can take. I need this to stop. I’m getting sick, nauseous … it’s affecting my voice! Make. This. Stop._

“We’ll do our best, Mrs. Cullen,” Torres said, taking her hand. “Any time. Call me. Call us.” He pressed a card into my wife’s hand. They stood up, leaving the suite.

Kellan blinked back to us, giving us a concerned look. “No one would fault you in wanting to cancel the rest of the tour,” he murmured.

“No,” Bella whispered. “Call me stubborn, but I’m not giving up.”

“Good girl,” Kellan said, his lips quirking up into a proud grin. “Get some rest and we leave for Kentucky tomorrow.”

“Can we leave?” I asked, pulling Bella into my lap. She melted against me, her face buried in my shoulder. “I mean, with the open investigation?”

“I asked that while we were still in my suite, but yes. I’ve given Agents Torres and Mulcahey my cell phone number. They’ll call with more information, as it become available,” Kellan replied. “I’ll see you both in the morning. We’ve got an eight-hour drive.”

xx LMDC xx

Bella and I spent the entire bus ride working on the _High Life,_ sending off what we’d completed to Larry and his brother-in-law. By the time, we pulled up to the hotel, Larry had responded, saying that what we’d written was _perfect_ for the movie. Music had been photocopied and distributed to the musicians.

In the hotel, Bella was examined by another ENT to check on her vocal fatigue. It had improved, but he did give her exercises to work on, to help minimize the damage inflicted to her voice. She stressed that it would be in our best interest to take some time after the tour to allow Bella’s voice to completely heal. Using her pad of paper, Bella reiterated that we’d be taking a much-needed vacation and enjoying time off.

That evening, after it was inspected by the local police, we received the paperwork from _Rolling Stone_ , informing us about our interview and the reporter who would be conducting the interview. It was someone familiar.

“Angela Cheney!” Bella sang, unable to contain her glee. “She’s working for _Rolling Stone?_ ”

“It’ll be nice to see a friendly face,” I said, reading her biography. She’d worked for several different reputable newspapers as an entertainment reporter, getting hired as a staff reporter by _Rolling Stone_ in the past year. She’d written articles about several popular artists and bands, even touring with them to get the story behind the story.

“Ben will be with her,” Bella smiled. “That’s such great news. I haven’t seen her since their wedding. I feel like such a horrible friend.”

“Bella, she knows how busy we are and she and Ben were shocked that we even showed up to their nuptials,” I quipped.

“We had to, Edward. We were _in_ the wedding,” Bella snorted.

“Stop talking, Mrs. Cullen,” I said, poking her belly. “You need to take it easy.”

She mouthed sorry, rereading the letter from Angela and barely containing her excitement at seeing our college friends from Emerson University. Ben and Angela Cheney were married two years after us. Ben proposed at the beginning of the school year, at the first concert at The Chapel, but they wanted to wait until they were done with college. Angela got her degree in journalism, with a minor in photography while Ben got his degree in information technology, minoring in business. We’d stayed in touch, but it was through Facebook messages and emails. Ben and Angela were living in New York City and our home base was, at least at the moment, Los Angeles.

The next morning, we went to some morning show and performed a couple of acoustic songs before heading to a small meet and greet at one of the larger music stores. Pandora’s presence was clearly all over both locations. Our security detail was off camera for the morning show and there was a significant line to meet us, since the fans had to be screened by security. There were a few upset fans who were disgruntled about the wait, but overall, it was a great afternoon.

That evening, we performed at the Rupp Arena. There were no threatening flowers, scary letters or psycho stalkers. It was also a dead crowd. Our performance was lackluster, at best. I expected us to have off nights, but the arena was just a dead space, with horrible acoustics and the crowd didn’t really have very much enthusiasm. We tried to hype things up, changing our set lists and doing different arrangements of our pieces, but to no avail.

_Sigh._

You can’t win them all.

We went back to the hotel, sleeping in late before we drove to Indianapolis since it was only a three-hour drive. The performance at Indianapolis was much better than the one in Lexington. Bella’s voice was stronger and she was sounding more like herself, not a three-pack-a-day smoker. When we got back to the hotel, Kellan asked us to go to his suite. He was practically vibrating. “Is everything okay?” Nia asked. “You’re acting like a tweaker.”

“Shut up, brat,” Kellan snorted. “Jared sent over the air play analysis of your new single. It’s off the charts!”

“That’s amazing,” Bella smiled, sipping some tea. “What does that mean?”

“It means that we’re going to release the single sooner rather than later,” Kellan smiled, pulling up a file on his tablet. “We need your input on the cover art. Choose the one you like the best.”

“I thought we were doing a photoshoot?” Emmett said as he looked over Bella’s shoulder while she scrolled through the photos on his tablet.

“You are, for the new album,” Kellan replied. “We can use the artwork you choose as a guide for the photoshoot.”

“I like this one,” Bella said, pointing to photo of an abstract flower, with a drop falling from one of the petals. It was bright red, but fading to a soft gray. It was distorted with a grungy looking background. “Have our band logo along the bottom and the title of the song wrapped around the flower?”

“I like that,” Kellan said, copying the photo and emailing the graphic artists. “We could do a steampunk cover, working that distressed, aged look.”

“More vests!” Jasper whooped, pumping his fist. “And fedoras!”

“Honey, just let it go,” Nia said, rubbing Jasper’s arm. “For that, I’m going to put you in a bowler hat.”

“And goggles,” Bella giggled. Jasper scowled at both of them, crossing his arms. “I like that idea. The pieces for that new album are previously unreleased. Oldies but goodies.”

“Nia, let’s spend the bus ride to Peoria looking for some sexy steampunk costumes,” Alice said. “Corsets and waistcoats. Oooh, it’ll be hot!” She grabbed Nia, scurrying out of the suite. Nia snagged Bella’s arm, dragging her with them.

“I’m not wearing a corset,” Emmett shuddered.

“Bella will be wearing the corset, you idiot,” Jasper chuckled. “Edward may go batshit crazy because her tits will be on display.”

“Don’t make me throttle you, Hick,” I deadpanned. “Don’t be looking at my wife’s tits. I don’t look at your girl’s.”

“That’s because she’s as flat as a pancake,” Kellan laughed. He got slugged by Jasper. “What the fuck, man?”

“Don’t be an ass,” Jasper growled.

“Okay, this is too fucking weird. Let’s not talk about our incestuous little bubble,” Emmett said, breaking Jasper and Kellan apart. “Jasper ignore Kellan’s ribbing; Nia’s his sister. Jasper, don’t look at my sister’s boobs because that’s creepy. And Edward, don’t make me kick your ass.”

“What’d I do?” I wailed.

“You mentioned Bella’s tits,” Emmett said, arching a brow at me. “She’s _my_ sister.”

“Your logic is flawed, Emmett McCarty Swan,” I sighed.

“Are you a Vulcan now?” Emmett chuckled.

I held up my hand, my fingers spread. “Live long and prosper,” I retorted. “I’m going to shower. What time are we leaving tomorrow?”

“Noon-ish. The buses need to refuel and are going to do so prior to departure. See you tomorrow, Edward,” Kellan smiled, pounding my fist. He walked past, smacking the back of Jasper’s head. Jasper elbowed him and Emmett slipped between the two of them. “Okay, I’ll stop.”

Rolling my eyes, I left Kellan’s suite and walked to my own. I stripped out of my clothes, sliding into the shower and letting the hot water beat down on my tired muscles. A pair of feminine hands snaked around me and I felt Bella press her cheek in between my shoulder blades. “ _Cantante_ ,” I murmured, turning around and smiling down at her. “Slipped away from the costume queens?”

Bella nodded, standing on her tip toes and kissing me gently. I took her face in my hands, easing my tongue between her soft lips. She clawed at me, her fingers massaging my back. Her touch was making me hard, growing with each kiss. Her hands moved from my back, wrapping around my hardness. “Bella,” I whispered.

She pulled back, pressing her fingers to my lips. Gracefully, she knelt before me and pumped my arousal. She looked up at me, her espresso-colored orbs filled with desire and want. She traced the vein on the bottom of my shaft. “Fuck,” I shuddered. She beamed, using her tongue to do the same. “Bella, you don’t have to …” She looked up at me, arching a brow. Without any hesitation, she wrapped her lips around the head of my cock. “Yesssss!”

She rolled my balls with her hands, bobbing her head and swirling her tongue along the tip of my arousal. With her other hand, she guided my hips. I slowly thrust my hips, watching as my hardness slid further inside of her mouth. “Touch your pussy, Bella.” She hummed, sliding her hand between her legs. “Are you wet?” She released me with a pop and nodded, showing me her glistening fingers. She smiled seductively, swallowing me and bobbing her head fervently. “Oh, GOD!”

Bella was relentless as she worked me over. Her teeth skimmed along the sensitive skin of my cock. Her eyes burned through me, staring at me hungrily as she devoured every inch of me. “Fuck yourself, baby,” I growled. “Put those fingers inside your pussy.” She whimpered, slamming two fingers inside her. “That’s fucking gorgeous. Watching you finger fuck yourself …” Bella broke away, pumping both her hands, one on me and the other in her, in concert. She was panting, rolling her hips. With a snarl, she took me inside, sucking my cock. “Oh, Bella. I’m going to come.”

She removed her hand from her pussy, focusing all her attention on me. The hand that was between her legs ran along my length, soaking me with her arousal. Her other hand stroked my balls and the sensitive skin beneath them. I gripped her damp hair, choking out grunts as my balls tightened. With her teeth, she scraped along the underside of my shaft and swallowed everything that I gave her. I leaned against the wall as she stood up, daintily dabbing her mouth. I crashed my lips against hers, my hand finding her soaking wet pussy. I kept my mouth on hers as I curled my fingers inside her. Within moments, she was erupting from a powerful orgasm. Breaking apart, we panted heavily as we came back to earth. She gave me a sexy, satisfied smile. “Coming without making a sound is hard,” she giggled.

“Why do you think I kissed the shit out of you?” I asked, gently washing her hair. “No screaming, baby.”

“Hmmm,” she smiled, dipping her head back and rinsing her hair under the streams of water. “I’m sorry about attacking you. But, I came in here to wash my face and I saw you, naked and wet …” She smirked. “I couldn’t resist.”

“I’m glad you couldn’t,” I snickered. I nipped at her lips and she giggled. We finished washing each other. I wanted to make love to her, but her yawns and clumsy steps indicated that my wish to continue would have to be delayed. Curling around my wife, we both drifted asleep.

xx LMDC xx

The next day, as we settled into a hotel in Peoria, Illinois, we had a FaceTime call with Angela. She told us that she practically begged for the assignment from her editor. “There was another writer who wanted this assignment,” Angela explained. “She is known about being ruthless in sleeping with the lead singers of various bands. She’d been infatuated with Edward for years.”

“What’s this bitch’s name?” Bella growled.

“Calm down, baby,” I said, rubbing her shoulder. “I’m yours.”

“Damn, right,” she said, kissing me harshly. “But, seriously … what was her name?”

“Irina,” Angela said. “Irina Mattel. She said that she knew Edward.”

“Irina,” I growled. “She was the girl that …” I trailed. “Mattel?”

“She got married,” Angela blushed. “But, she’s adamant that she and her husband have an open relationship, even encourages her trysts with the singers. You knew her?”

“We went to high school together,” I sighed, pinching my nose.

“She popped Edward’s cherry,” Bella deadpanned. I scowled at my wife. “What? She did!”

“It was a decision made by teenaged hormones. A decision I regretted the moment I met Bella,” I grumbled. I shot her a look, feeling ashamed for my horny, teenaged self. “I’m sorry, _cantante_. I wished I waited for you.”

“I may not have been your first, but I’m your last,” she whispered, kissing me sweetly. “I’m glad that you beat Irina for this story. Are you capable of being objective?”

“I’m don’t need to be objective. I’m simply writing a story about two of my great friends, both of whom are famous and are incredibly talented,” Angela smiled. “Anyway, I need to finish my research. I hope you don’t mind me sharing some stories from when you were at Emerson University?”

“I think our fans would love that,” I said. “But, keep it PG, Ang. You know a lot of things that most people don’t.”

“I’ll try. I have to keep my readers wanting more,” Angela chuckled. “It’s the fire between you two that makes you so popular, Edward. It’s why women want to listen to your music. They hear your undying devotion to your wife. It’s why men purchase the songs. The wish to emulate the passion between you two with their girlfriends, wives, husbands, boyfriends. You’re both fucking sexy and your relationship is a huge reason why the band is as popular as you are.” She bit her lip. “Ben and I made love, conceiving our first child to ‘La Musica del Cuore.’” She stood up, showing her tiny baby bump.

“Angela!” Bella squealed. “When are you due?”

“October,” she beamed. “So, thank you for providing that perfect beat to fuck to.”

“We’re glad we could help you become pregnant,” I said dryly. Angela snickered, waving as she hung up her phone. “Wow, a baby.” I looked at Bella, pressing my hand to her flat tummy. “When does your shot wear off?”

“End of the month,” Bella said, pressing her hand to mine. “But, the doctors said that it’ll be awhile before my hormones get under control. It’ll be some time before we get pregnant, Edward.”

“Who knows? I may have super sperm,” I chuckled. “Wanna practice?”

“Hmmm, tempting, but we have an acoustic set at Bradley University in about two hours,” Bella giggled. “Some radio contest or something.”

“But, I want to make love and practice making babies with my wife,” I whined. Her giggles continued as she got up, walking to change into her outfit for the acoustic performance. I followed her sullenly, but determined to make love to her tonight.

After the performance at the decent-sized liberal arts college in Peoria, just slightly smaller than Emerson University, I fulfilled my promise of making love and practicing baby making. I showed my wife how much I treasured her, kissing her, loving her and showing her that she was everything to me.

The next morning, both of our cell phones rang. Reaching over, Bella grumbled. “Hello?”

I swiped mine, seeing a text from Kellan on the screen. _We need to talk. My suite. Fifteen minutes ~ Kellan_

“Okay, Alice. We’ll be there,” Bella said, sitting up and swiping a t-shirt from the floor. She hung up, looking at me. “She’s freaking out. She wouldn’t say why.” She yawned, padding to the bathroom and closing the door. I changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, searching for hat. Slamming it on my head, I went into the bathroom once Bella walked out. I brushed my teeth and taking care of business, walking back into the suite. Bella was in a pair of yoga pants, her hair was braided. “Shall we?”

“This is probably bad,” I muttered. “They both know not to wake us up before ten. It’s just after seven.” We threaded our fingers together, walking to Kellan’s suite. Ryan and Max trailed behind us, looking menacing and pissed off. “You know something?”

“We do, Edward,” Ryan growled. “We’ll explain everything once we get to the suite. We’re waiting for the local authorities.”

“Oh, God,” Bella whimpered, her fingers tightening in my hold. We made it into Kellan’s suite and saw him looking as white as a sheet. He strode to us, crushing us to his chest. “Kellan? Tell us!”

“Okay,” he said. He sat down next to Alice, hugging her to his body. “There was a letter delivered to the Peoria Civic Center. It was dropped off late last night, just after our supplies were delivered from the university. It wasn’t seen until Lou went to go set up the instruments on the completed stage. It had fallen into one Emmett’s drum cases.”

“What did this letter say?” Nia asked. “Obviously, it’s bad. I’ve never seen you this freaked, Kel.”

“You’d figure that with the FBI on their tail, they’d lay off,” Kellan muttered, almost to himself. “But, this is bigger than a threat to just Edward and Bella.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

Kellan sighed, looking over to Ryan. “You tell them. It was one of your team who uncovered the threat.”

Ryan took a step forward, his face all hard angles and fierce determination. “The letter was a threat,” he growled. “A bomb threat. It said that there was a bomb buried somewhere in the Civic Center. The Peoria Police and a contingent from the Chicago FBI office, who are on their way from the city, are going to be checking over the arena with a fine-toothed comb.”

“What does this mean?” Bella asked. “Is there really a bomb?”

“It could be a ruse, but this is something that we are taking very seriously,” Ryan muttered. “It’s highly unlikely that the sweep will be completed by the start of the concert.” He blinked at Kellan and scrubbed his face. “It’ll probably be in our best interest to cancel the show tonight.”

“What does Twilight think about that?” Jasper asked, holding Nia tightly. “They’re going to be pissed. That’s a lot of dough they’ll lose if we cancel.”

“We can cancel, but reexamine the possibility of rescheduling,” Kellan said. “I called Jared as soon as I found out. They’re willing to swallow the cost. If there’s an explosion and all of those people … we can’t have that on our hands.”

“How can we explain the cancelation?” Emmett asked. “We just performed last night at Bradley. We can’t say illness.”

“We could …” Kellan said. “Bella has been dealing with vocal fatigue. We could say that the two performances from Indy and last night caused some damage to her voice, causing her to go on complete vocal rest until your performance in Chicago. That gives us a week for her recuperate.”

“I’m glad that my vocal fatigue gives us an out,” Bella said, a snarl in her voice.

“Bella,” I whispered.

“Sorry,” she sighed. “This is beyond real. A bomb threat?”

“For all we know, this isn’t real,” Ryan said. “However, it’s better to err on the side of caution.”

“I’ll make the preparations for the cancellation of the show. Nia, Alice? Can you help?” Kellan asked. “We need to contact the news stations, radio stations and Civic Center. They can help us contact the people who were attending the concert.”

“Are we going to cancel or reschedule?” Alice asked.

“For now, cancel, but leave it open for rescheduling after the end of the tour,” Kellan said. “That’s what Jared said.”

“We need to ensure the safety of our fans, of our crew,” I said, holding my trembling wife in my arms. “Cancel it and reschedule it for later. We’ll honor the tickets from the concert at the rescheduled concert.”

“Edward, we may need you to speak,” Kellan said. “Shower and be prepared to speak at a news conference. We can use Bella’s vocal fatigue to cover up this … this … ugh, this nightmare!”

I nodded, kissing Bella’s forehead. We left Kellan’s suite, all somber and afraid for our lives. This stalker had taken things too far and now, it was wreaking havoc with our fans. Bella and I clung to each other, making love to each other as a way to cope with the terror we both were feeling. After we’d done that, I showered and dressed conservatively. I didn’t need to do a news conference, but I did write a note explaining our need to cancel the concert. Kellan checked it over, nodding as he sent it to the local news media. Within an hour, the concert cancelation was on all of the websites of the newspapers, television channels and social media.

**_ Illness Plagues Famed Band Breaking Midnight _ **

_In a statement from the band’s lead singer, Edward Cullen, Breaking Midnight needs to cancel tonight’s performance at the Peoria Civic Center. His wife, Isabella Cullen, lead singer and cowriter of many of the band’s hit songs, including the latest number one hit, “Until Forever Dies,” a song written for Edward Cullen for his birthday, has been suffering from vocal fatigue for several weeks now. Her condition had improved, but after the two previous performances, one in Indianapolis and the other last night at Bradley University, her condition grew significantly worse._

_According to Mr. Cullen, “My wife, Isabella Cullen, prides herself on her ability to perform, even while sick, but the doctors informed her that if she continued to sing, there would be irreparable damage done to her voice. Under the medical advice of several noted physicians, known for their expertise in vocal health, she’s been put on complete vocal rest. She is unable to speak, let alone sing. We will be seeing a specialist in Chicago to check the progress on her condition. It’s due to this that we will need to cancel tonight’s performance at the Civic Center._

_“At this time, we are looking into finding alternative dates to reschedule the performance. Twilight Recordings will contact the ticket holders once a date has been finalized. Tickets from tonight’s performance will be honored. If you are unable to attend the new date, which will be announced soon, a refund will be issued. We appreciate your cooperation during this time. This decision was not made lightly and my wife, partner and love of my life struggled with the severity of her condition. Please keep her in your thoughts.”_

_You can access information about the canceled concert on our website, as well as the Twilight Recordings website. Further information, as it becomes available to us, will be posted online as well. Our thoughts are with Edward and Isabela as she deals with her vocal issues._

“Thank you for your kind words,” Bella snorted, reading the article. “I hate lying, though.”

“We can’t let our fans know the truth,” I said, holding her tightly. “If they knew that there was a bomb threat, people wouldn’t come.”

“This is true,” she sighed, pressing head to my chest.

“You’re not as scared, _cantante_ ,” I murmured.

“I’m terrified, Edward. The stalker is taking things too far,” she growled. “But, I’m not going to cower in the shadows. If they want to fight, then I’m going to fight. We’re stronger than this, Edward. We will get past this.”

“But at what cost?” I asked, taking her heart-shaped face in my hands. “I’m not losing you. I’m not losing anyone in my family. You, Jasper, Emmett, Nia, Kellan, Alice … you’re all my family.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” she whispered, grasping my wrists. “We’re not giving up. Fight this with me.” I growled, crashing my lips against hers. We broke apart, panting heavily. “I love you, Edward. With you, we can fight this. We can get past this.”

“I love you. I’ll do everything to keep you and my family safe,” I choked out, pressing my forehead to hers. “I want to have babies with you.”

“We can conceive the baby using our music,” she chuckled, kissing me gently. “We survived Jacob. We can survive this.”

“I want more than that,” I breathed. “But, let’s get past this nightmare.” We clung to each other, allowing each other to pull on the other’s strength. This was a nightmare. Kellan’s description was apt. But, with Bella by my side, I knew that we had a chance of getting past this. Until then, it was just a scary, disgusting, and terrifying hurdle.

A hurdle that no one could know about.

But, how long will that last?

**A/N: The stalker is escalating, but FBI is involved now. Homeland will also get involved, too, since this is an act of terrorism. Anyway, pictures of the of the venues in Lexington, Indianapolis and Bradley University are on my blog. Up next will be the interview with Angela, the photoshoot for their new album, some smexy times, time with Senior and their concerts at Wrigley Field.**

**Leave me some loving. I appreciate it greatly! ;-)**

 

 

 


	14. Interview with a Pair of Rock Stars

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be the interview with Angela and _Rolling Stone_ , the photoshoot for their new album, some smexy times, time with Senior and their concerts at Wrigley Field. **

**Chapter Fourteen: Interview with a Pair of Rock Stars**

**BPOV**

We left Peoria around the time we were supposed to take to the stage at the Civic Center. We arrived in Chicago a little before nine, pulling into the W Hotel on Lakeshore Drive. Edward and I weren’t staying there, but the rest of the crew and the band were going to stay at the hotel. We were going to be using the week and spending it at a brownstone Edward purchased on a whim. It was near where he used to live when he was child. With his strengthening relationship with his biological father, he wanted a place in Chicago.

However, us staying in the brownstone was a huge point of contention. There was no protection and extra security measures. I mean, we had a security system, but it wasn’t as safe as staying in a hotel, with Pandora roaming the hallways. We did come up with a compromise. Ryan was going to stay in our guest room and we were going to remain armed, at all times.

Senior was waiting for us at the hotel upon our arrival. He was concerned, hugging both of us tightly. “I saw your statement. Are you okay?” he asked me, looking at me with a warmth that I swore I’d never thought I’d see from Senior. A far cry from the man I met almost six years ago, who scared the shit out of me when we first met. “Tell me everything.”

“We will, Senior,” Edward said, his arm wrapped around my waist. “Just in the privacy of our own home.” I went to open my mouth but Edward shook his head. “No, baby. You’re on complete vocal rest.” I wrinkled my nose, nodding.

Even though, it was a lie.

With hugs and kisses from Jasper, Emmett, Alice, Nia and Kellan, we got into the SUV with Senior and Ryan. Senior drove us to the house, his brows furrowed. “Okay, what’s going on? You said to me that it would take an act of God to cancel a concert.”

“It was damn close to an act of God,” Edward growled. “There was a bomb threat at the Peoria Civic Center.”

“What?” Senior barked. “So, Bella is okay? She’s not under a doctor’s care?”

“I’m fine. I am suffering from vocal fatigue, but it’s nowhere as severe as Edward’s statement made it out to be,” I answered. “We had to come up with a valid reason to cancel the concert, but we didn’t want the public to know the real reason.”

“Please tell me that you have the authorities involved,” Senior said, looking back at us and giving a side glance to our bodyguard. “Ryan?”

“The FBI are involved,” Ryan grunted. “And Homeland, too. The stalker threatened the public. That’s an act of terrorism. Whoever is doing this is going to get in a shitload of trouble.” He blinked back at us. “Agent Torres will probably want to talk to you. He’ll be here at some point tomorrow after he’s had a chance to look at the letter, sending it to forensics.”

“Did they find a bomb?” Senior asked. “In the Civic Center?”

“No, but they’re still searching. They’ve moved to the convention center,” Edward answered. “It’s a huge facility, Senior.”

“With this threat, could you have even attempted to have your concert?” Senior whispered, his voice strained. “Edward, you should … this is getting very, very dangerous. Cancel the rest of the tour?”

“Senior … Dad, we can’t. Twilight Records has put a lot of money into this tour,” Edward sighed, tugging on his hair. “We’ve got a private security team. With the threat, local authorities and the FBI have been made aware of the situation. We’re doing everything in our power to ensure the safety of our fans, of our family.”

“We’re not going to roll over and cower, Senior,” I said. “I did that when I was stalked by my ex-boyfriend. I lived in fear and I lost a good chunk of my life – two years because of my fear of living because of Jacob’s infatuation with me. I hid behind my fears. Yes, this is on a larger scale, but I’m not going to hide. We’re not going to hide.”

“Every precaution is being done, Mr. Masen,” Ryan growled. “I’ll be staying in the brownstone with Edward and Bella. Plus, I’ll be upgrading the security system since we’ll be staying here for the week.”

“And we’re probably going to stay here while we are celebrating our anniversary in a month,” Edward said, looking at me, caressing the back of my cheek. “Hole up in the bedroom for five days?”

“Sounds romantic,” I giggled.

“Maybe I’ll get my grandbabies,” Senior laughed. With both groaned at his request. “I’m just as anxious as Esme and Carlisle.”

“My dad is also looking forward to grandchildren, too,” I blushed. “But, it may take some time. I’ve been on birth control for a long, long time.”

“One can hope,” Senior smirked, looking very much like Edward. “Now, I’m leaving the SUV with you. It’ll save you from having to rent a car.”

“How will you get around?” Edward asked.

“I’m just a few streets away. I can walk,” he chuckled. “I’ve got another car there.”

“You have to come over for dinner, Senior. It’ll be nice to spend time with family. We are having an interview with a friend who works for _Rolling Stone_ along with a photo shoot for the magazine and an upcoming album,” I said. “But, family will _always_ come first.”

“You’ll have to let me cook dinner for you. I can imagine that you’re probably sick of restaurant food,” Senior laughed.

“You can cook?” Edward snorted. “Mom did all of the cooking when I was a kid. And when she got sick … we ate a lot of pizza and takeout.”

“I took lessons,” Senior smirked, pulling into the alley behind the brownstone. He parked it in the garage and helped us into the house, carrying our bags into the master bedroom with Ryan and Edward. Senior came back down, hugging me. “Edward is showing Ryan where the guest room is. While they’re getting your guard dog settled, I wanted to show you that I went grocery shopping for you.” He opened the fridge, showing it to be filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, along with meat, eggs, cheese and milk. “I hope I did alright.”

“You did perfectly, Senior,” I smiled, kissing his cheek. “Thank you.” He grinned crookedly. “And cooking lessons?”

“Uh, I took them while I was, uh,” he blushed. “It was a date-like-thing.”

“You met someone,” I giggled. “What’s she like?”

“She works for the law firm where I sometimes do pro-bono work for,” Senior chuckled, sitting down on the stool in the kitchen. “She’s a partner. Her name is Kathryn and things are going really, _really_ well.”

“Bring her over dinner,” I suggested.

“Bring who over for dinner?” Edward asked, standing next to me and kissing my neck.

“Your dad’s girlfriend,” I said.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Senior backpedaled. “It’s very new. Edward, please don’t think that I’m trying to disrespect your mother. I still love her very much. She’s a part of my heart.”

“Dad,” Edward said softly. “It’s been over twenty years since mom died. I know you loved her, but it’s okay if you want to date. All that I ask is that you be happy. You deserve it.”

“Thank you, son,” Senior breathed, hugging my husband. “I was afraid that you’d be upset about me dating.” He pulled back, patting Edward’s cheek. “So, you don’t mind me bringing Kathryn to dinner?”

“I’d like to meet her,” Edward replied, grinning shyly. “Now, Ryan is going to walk you back to your house, Dad.”

“You’re calling me Dad, as opposed to Senior,” he murmured. “Not that I mind. I love it.”

“With all of this happening, I don’t want to alienate my family,” Edward murmured. “I wasted so many years being angry at you for abandoning me.”

“I deserved your anger, Edward. I get it,” Senior said, his brow furrowing.

“But, you’ve spent the past six years showing me how much you love me, love my family and love my wife,” Edward smiled. “We both needed time to heal. You needed to heal from the death of your wife, my mom. I needed to heal and come to grips with what happened in regard to our relationship and the death of Mom.” Senior sniffled, grasping Edward into a bone-crushing hug. I snuck out of the kitchen, allowing them time to finish their discussion without an audience.

Upstairs, I unpacked our bags and separated our clothes for the loads of laundry I was going to wash tomorrow. It felt comforting and domestic, almost normal. I welcomed it. I heard the door open downstairs and the security system being armed. Edward came upstairs, his arms sliding around my waist. “My dad’s dating,” he whispered.

“Are you really okay with that?” I asked, turning around in his arms.

“I am,” he said, his lips pursed. “He’s been alone since my mom died. He focused on his job as a defense attorney and now as an attorney, working pro bono for clients who can’t afford legal representation. He needs someone in his life and I’m glad that he’s opening himself up to try. I hope that Kathryn treats him well.”

“From the look in his eyes, he seems to care for her a great deal,” I said, kissing Edward’s jaw. “Did you settle on a day for them to come over?”

“Bastille Day,” he chuckled. “Now, I’m exhausted and all I want to do is collapse in this fluffy white bed with you, Bella.”

“Clothing optional?” I asked, arching a brow.

“What do you think?” he smirked.

xx LMDC xx

Edward and I spent the day lounging around the house. However, as much as Edward wanted to have a naked day, Ryan’s presence negated that. He was adding security cameras to each door, the windows and in the tiny yard behind the brownstone. So, we had to deal with just relaxing on the couch, fully clothed, while I cooked dinner and we did laundry. It was so perfectly domestic and exactly what we needed.

“Angela sent an email,” Edward said, scrolling through his phone. “She has a date for our interview and photoshoot.”

“When is it?” I asked, dishing out our meal into plates. I’d made baked garlic butter chicken with roasted potatoes.

“Day after tomorrow,” he said, ambling into the kitchen. “This smells absolutely delicious, Bella. I’ve missed your cooking, baby.”

“I’m good for more than just singing,” I said, pushing his plate toward him, along with a glass of white wine. “Did you put the clothes away?”

“I even ironed,” he chuckled. “Do we have enough for Ryan?”

“I do, but he’s still puttering in the garage,” I shrugged. Edward got up, darting outside. He and Ryan came inside. I made him a plate. “How’s everything going, Ryan?”

“It’s going. I’m almost done with the upgrades, but I would still want you to go to the hotel. It’s so much safer,” Ryan grumbled, cutting into the chicken. He inhaled it, his brows shooting to his hairline. “You made this?”

“This was main reason why we wanted to come here. I needed a home cooked meal, Ryan. One can only survive on takeout, room service and snacks for so long,” I snorted. “And yes, I made this. I can give you the recipe. Wine?”

“Not while I’m on the job. Water would be fine,” he said, digging into his meal. Edward got him a glass of water and we devoured our dinner, packaging the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. “I’m going to check the perimeter and then contact my crew at the hotel. Thank you for dinner. I completely understand why you wanted to be here.”

“And we wanted our privacy. I love my family, but I needed to get away,” I said.

Ryan nodded, picking up his plate and handing it to Edward. “I’ll do the dishes for breakfast, Edward,” he said, squeezing his shoulder. “Thank you, Bella.”

“You’re welcome, Ryan,” I smiled.

Edward did the dishes while I cuddled on the couch, flipping through the channels. I stopped at one of the local stations, reporting about our canceled show. I wrinkled my nose. There were some very upset fans, saying that I should have fought through my vocal fatigue. Others were sympathetic, sending well-wishes. However, all of it made me sick - the need to lie, the fact we had to cancel and the never-ending drama. Edward sat down next to me, watching the tail end of the story. “What was said?”

“They showed several fans, some were pissed and some were sympathetic,” I sighed, playing with an errant curl. “But, regardless, this is all bullshit.”

“I know, _cantante_ ,” he murmured, sitting next to me, pulling me into his lap. “But, we made the right decision. There was no bomb in the Civic Center. However, we needed to ensure the safety of our fans. A majority of the press we received has been positive. In the hundreds of shows we’d performed, this was the first one we canceled.” He kissed my neck, picking me up and carrying me up the stairs. “Now, I want to snuggle with my gorgeous wife.”

“Is snuggling a euphemism for sex?” I giggled, kicking my feet.

“Yes.”

Clothes were strewn across the floor and we spent hours exploring our bodies, only collapsing in exhaustion shortly after two in the morning. The next day, we holed ourselves in our bedroom, only leaving to get food. Ryan teased my husband as he wore a pair of gym shorts and a satisfied grin, but my shameless husband grinned as he floated back to the bedroom. It was so nice to be shut away from the world, ignoring the responsibilities of being an adult. The day following, Ryan drove us to the hotel, where we were meeting with Angela and the photographer for the interview. I was anxious to see her, wanting to hear all about her life with Ben and all about her baby.

“Bella, you’re making the whole car shake,” Edward snickered.

“I just can’t wait to see Angela,” I said. Ryan chuckled and he parked in the underground parking garage. We rode up to the dining room that had been set up for our photo shoot and interview. Jasper and Emmett were already there, getting their faces powdered. “Add some mascara to my brother. He needs to flaunt his lashes.”

“You walking okay there, Isabelly?” Emmett teased, waggling his brows.

“Never better, brother bear,” I teased. “Am I good?” Alice checked my makeup, hiding a love bite on my neck with a growl.

“You and my brother are freaking vampires,” she snorted. “Do you have any more? Because after this, you have the photo shoot for the album cover. And the clothing is practically nonexistent.”

“I thought we were doing a steampunk thing,” I snickered.

“We are, but we’re going to do some smexy photos for the _inside_ of the cover,” Alice said. “Am I going to find more of these love bites on your body?”

“Yes, and I’m damned proud of them,” I said, grinning smugly.

“Vampires. You both are vampires,” she laughed.

“So not much has changed,” Angela chuckled, waddling toward us. “You guys were unable to keep your hands off each other in college. It’s only gotten worse over time?”

“Oh, yes,” Alice snickered. 

I got up, hugging Angela. “You look great, Ang. Positively glowing,” I breathed. “When are you due?”

“Not soon enough,” she deadpanned. “Late October, early November. But this kid is using my bladder as a punching bag. I’ve got to pee every ten minutes. I apologize for getting up in the middle of this interview to go to the bathroom.”

“Are we going to start with the interview or with the shoot?”

“A little bit of both,” Angela smiled, guiding me to the couch. I settled next to Edward, who had kissed my forehead. There was a click of the camera. I looked up, seeing Angela sit down with a knowing grin. “What? I told my photographer to get as many candid shots as possible.”

“Before we begin,” Edward sighed, “I know that Kellan sent you a list of topics that we will not be discussing. I know that you won’t breach our privacy.”

“Never, Edward,” Angela said, sitting down and taking out her digital recorder. “I may be a reporter, but you guys are my friends first. I know that you’re dealing with something and if you want to share it with me, I’ll gladly report that.”

“I think this is a first,” Jasper chuckled. “A reporter with morals.”

“And integrity,” Angela said, giving him a wry smile. “Let’s get started.”

The interview lasted a couple of hours. Angela asked about our Grammy-award winning sophomore album, planning this tour and the drama with Emmett. She was respectful asking Emmett about his issues with sobriety, but he was candid and honest about his struggles. He didn’t discuss the separation from Rosalie, but I knew that Angela was aware of it. However, she was mindful of our privacy.

After a bathroom break, we finished our interview with Angela asking about upcoming projects, our extended vacation and the upcoming album that would be released in August. The final question was related to me and my vocal fatigue. “Bella, you recently had to cancel a concert due to vocal health concerns. What happened?”

“I’ve been dealing with vocal fatigue since just prior to our performance in Washington D.C. Things were improving, but when I woke up the morning of our concert in Peoria, I could barely speak above a whisper and after speaking with my doctors, it was determined that we cancel the performance. I’ve since seen a specialist here in Chicago and the damage is quite extensive,” I said, wrinkling my nose. I hated lying to my friend, but it was the ruse we needed to maintain to keep the public safe. “I may have to undergo surgery once this tour is over, but that will be reexamined once we’re back at home in Los Angeles.”

“I hope that it’s nothing too serious,” Angela whispered.

“I’d rather err on the side of caution,” I chuckled. “This is my livelihood, Angela.”

“I can imagine,” she breathed. She reached over, turning off the recorder. “Thank you for taking the time for speaking with me. I’m planning on attending your concert at Wrigley Field, along with my photographer. This is a historic show for you. I may speak to you guys individually if I have further questions.” She looked at her watch. “I know you have another photo shoot for your upcoming album. Let’s get some group shots and then some individual shots.” She nodded to the photographer and we walked to the set up just outside of the dining room.

The photo shoot was edgy, sexy. It started with all of us, with me sandwiched in the middle between Jasper and Edward. We worked the camera, portraying our onstage personas. Jasper and Emmett took photos by themselves and then Edward and I had a flirty, seductive shoot. “Gah! You two are smoldering the camera lens,” Angela squealed.

“Good,” Edward laughed, taking my face and kissing me. There was another succession of pictures and Angela’s shrieks were deafening. “Ang, you’re killing me here. Have you been taking squealing lessons from my sister?”

“Maybe,” Angela laughed. “I think we’re good. We’ll get the rest in a couple of days at the concert.” We hugged Angela and were chattering when Kellan came over.

“I’m sorry to break this up, but we need to boogie out of here. We’re running late for the next photo shoot,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Angela. I’d only heard great things about you.”

“I can say the same about you, Kellan,” Angela beamed. “It’s nice to put a face with the voice and the name.” They shook hands and we got into a waiting limo, driving to an abandoned warehouse. We were whisked to hair and makeup. I was dressed in a white dress, looking like a wedding dress. The guys were in various outfits with waistcoats, tails, top hats, and steampunk-looking instruments. Music was pumping and the shoot was completely different than anything we’d ever done.

Emmett and Jasper left, along with a majority of the crew when Edward and I did the more risqué portion of the photo shoot. We were on the bed, draped in silken sheets, hiding our bodies. He was wearing a pair of flesh-colored briefs and I had on a nude thong. We lost each other in our kisses, almost oblivious to the cameras. With each kiss, I was getting hotter and I needed my husband. Kellan must have noticed how needy we were getting. He said that he had what he needed and that someone from the graphics department would get the photos. Edward smiled shamelessly as I put on a robe, after he’d done the same.

“Porn stars,” Kellan laughed. “I was just waiting for thrusting to happen.”

“We’ll wait until we get home, Kellan,” Edward said, grinning. “Though, I’m so hard …”

“Behave,” I chided, tugging on his hand. “We’re off. We have a date with our bed.”

“Don’t break the headboard,” Kellan deadpanned, his cheeks turning a warm pink.

“Too late,” Edward snorted, dragging me into the dressing room. We changed into our street clothes. Ryan was waiting for us and he drove us back to the brownstone. “Ryan, I respect what you’re doing and I get it, but would it kill you to go to the hotel tonight?”

“Edward, I don’t feel comfortable leaving you on your own,” Ryan hissed.

“What about my dad’s place? It’s around the corner,” Edward pleaded.

Ryan gave us a wry look, sighing. “It’s a good thing that I already dropped off my overnight bag at Senior’s house.”

“Thank you, Ryan,” Edward beamed. Ryan snorted, chuckling under his breath. Edward moved my curled hair, kissing my neck and nibbling along my earlobe. “Clothing optional, _cantante._ I want to feast on your pussy on the kitchen island.”

“Fuck,” I whimpered.

“Exactly,” he cooed.

The car ride was teasing, tempting and left me in a panting mess. Ryan reiterated his concerns, but Edward all but pushed him out the door. Once he did, the door was locked and Edward smiled at me, filled with carnal pleasures. “We have a date, Isabella,” he purred. “My tongue needs to be inside you as I devour you on the kitchen island.” He captured my hand, tossing me over his shoulder like a caveman. He placed me on the counter, his lips crashing against mine.

“Edward,” I breathed. I tugged on his shirt. “I need you.”

“Touching you, but not being able to make love to you was the sweetest torture,” he growled, his fingers fumbling with the buttons of my shorts. With a forceful tug, he pulled them down my legs. He moved me so I was at the edge of the counter, kissing my legs. “Fuck, baby, I can smell how turned on you are. Do you want me?”

“Always,” I pleaded, tossing my tank top from my body.

His smug grin made my body tingle. He tore the nude thong away and spread my legs. With a low snarl, he ran his tongue the length of my slit. I gasped, falling back and tangling my fingers into his hair. His assault on my pussy was desperate. He slid two fingers inside me, making me shudder. “Edward,” I breathed.

“I want you to fucking come all over me, Bella,” he said, thrusting his hand harshly. I pushed against him, allowing the sensations to wash over me. “That’s it, beautiful. Come for me.”

“Yesss,” I hissed. “Edward, harder.” He curled his fingers, sucking on my clit. Waves of pleasure crashed over me, making me quake and tremble. “Fuck! I’m …” He growled against my skin. The feeling his baritone snarl made my orgasm stronger and I lost it completely. Edward kept his mouth on me as I let the sensations of my orgasm settled. He stood up, removing his jeans and stroked his cock. “Hmmmm, that’s gorgeous.”

“Not as gorgeous as you are when you come,” Edward murmured, running his arousal along my dripping core.

“Don’t tease me,” I pleaded.

“I don’t intend to. I need you as badly as you need me,” he said, thrusting his hips forward, filling me to the hilt. I yelped, arching off the counter. Sitting up, I stared in Edward’s eyes. “Fuck, Bella.”

“Yes, fuck Bella,” I breathed. He laughed, looping one of my legs under his arm and rolled his body sinuously, filling me completely. We shared one body, kissing each other hungrily. “Edward …”

“I can feel you, baby,” he said, his fingers finding my clit. “You’re so wet, so tight.”

“I wish we could never be apart, Edward,” I breathed, nipping at his lips.

“We never will be,” he vowed, rolling his hips to hit the spot that made me scream with pleasure. “You’re so wet, Bella. I can feel your pussy juice all over my cock. I want to feel you as you come, baby.”

“Oh, God,” I whined, tugging on his neck and kissing him. He nibbled on my lips, rocking his hips deeply. I pulled back, panting heavily and looked down where we were joined. “That’s it, Edward. Make me yours. I’m only yours.”

“As I’m yours, _cantante,_ ” he choked out, emotions swirling in his evergreen eyes. “Bella, with you squeezing me, I’m going to come. You’ve teased me all day …” He crashed his lips against me and his thrusting grew more frenetic. I was lost to the feel of him inside me, his lips on mine and his strength all around me. “Oh, fuck. Bella, are you with me?”

“I am. I love you,” I breathed.

And that’s all he needed, exploding within me. His orgasm triggered mine and I clung to him, feeling the heat between us. We stared into each other’s eyes as his hips slowed and eventually came to a stop, his cock slipping out of me. He picked me up, carrying me up the stairs and into our bathroom. He ran a bath, sliding into the warm water and his arms wrapped around my body. “That was so needed.”

“The photo shoots were one big tease,” I giggled, shifting and grimacing.

“Are you okay, _cantante?_ ” Edward asked.

“I think your thrusting or my thrusting … someone’s thrusting caused a bruise on my back,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’m so sorry, Bella,” Edward choked out, lifting me gently and checking the tender spot on my lower back. “Shit, I didn’t know I was causing you pain. I’ll get you an ice pack after we take a bath.”

“Edward, I’m okay,” I said, settling back between his legs. “I’d gladly take the bruises from our lovemaking than dealing with the drama of our _little friend_ , wreaking havoc with the tour and our psyche.”

“I wonder if they found any clues from that threat,” Edward growled, holding me tightly. “And I’m sorry about hurting you. I promise to make you feel better. An ice pack, a massage and dinner in bed.”

“That sounds great,” I sighed, leaning back. We soaked, languishing in the tub until the water cooled. Edward wrapped me in a towel and carried me to the messy bed.

He picked up some lotion, chuckling as he looked at it. “Despite the millions we made with our music, you still buy this same lotion. Whenever I smell Philosophy’s Strawberries and Cream, I think of you, _cantante_ ,” he said. “On your stomach, Bella.” He removed my towel and straddled my legs. He huffed out a breath.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re really bruised, Bella. I’m so sorry,” he muttered. “I never meant to …”

I stopped him, looking over my shoulder. “You didn’t hear me complaining as we were making love, Edward,” I said. “I love the way you make me feel.”

“I’m still sorry,” he snorted, rubbing his hands over my back and massaging my back. With his magical fingers, I was sufficiently jelly and boneless on our bed after the massage. Despite his desire for us to spend the rest of the time, naked in our bed, his need to make my back feel better overrode his horniness. I put on a pair of yoga pants and one of Edward’s button-down shirts. Edward put an ice pack around my back and we ate home-made pizza in bed, after Edward cleaned up the counters.

The next day, Ryan came back with Senior and his girlfriend, Kathryn, for dinner. She was an elegant older woman, tall and slender, with a chic blonde bob and a warm smile. “I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about you,” she said, giving me a hug. “Edward constantly brags about his son and daughter.”

“Call me Senior, Kat,” Senior chuckled. “It avoids confusion.”

“Right,” Kathryn chuckled. “Edward Masen, _Senior._ ” She rubbed his arm, turning to _my_ Edward. “And Edward Masen Cullen, _Junior_.” She grinned. “Would it presumptuous for me to hug you?”

“Of course, not,” Edward said, hugging her. “It’s nice to meet you, Kathryn.” They stepped back. “I hope you’re hungry. Bella and I worked hard on making a family favorite.”

“What’s that?” Kathryn asked, handing my husband a bottle of wine. “I hope this goes with what you made.”

“Definitely,” Edward beamed. “Merlot goes with eggplant parmesan, right?”

“Yes,” I giggled, taking the wine and walking to the kitchen. I poured it into the decanter, letting it breathe. Kathryn took my husband into the living room, chatting with him about her work in the law firm. Senior was huddling next to me, biting his thumb nail. I tugged it out of his mouth, giggling quietly. “Relax. I don’t think your son will be a brat.”

“I know. But, this is a big deal, Bella,” Senior hissed. “This is the first time I even looked at a woman romantically since Elizabeth’s death. When she died, a part of myself died with her. I lost my mind, my heart, my soul; drinking myself into a stupor and I lost my son because of my actions.” He blinked, tears forming in his eyes. “I gave up my son because I couldn’t function.” He looked down at me. “Only now is he’s recognizing me as his father. I don’t deserve that title, Bella.”

I took Senior’s hand, guiding him into the library, my favorite room in the house besides the bedroom. “Senior, Edward loves you.”

“He’s never said it,” Senior choked out. “I love him so much and I’m so proud of him, of you. He’s grown up to be a talented, ambitious, wonderful man. I can see so much of Elizabeth in him. I just wish she could have seen him grown up. I wish he could know that I never, _ever_ stopped loving him.”

I hugged him, rubbing his back. “I’m sorry, Senior.” He gripped me, blowing out a harsh breath. “I know that you will always struggle with what happened between you and Edward. He loves you. He respects you. He understands why you gave him up. You couldn’t provide him with the stable environment he needed when he was a child. Esme and Carlisle could.” Pulling back, I smiled at him gently. “Talk to him tonight, Senior. It’ll give me a chance to get to know Kathryn while you talk to your son.”

“Edward was brilliant in marrying you, Bella,” Senior said, cupping my cheek. “You are wise beyond your years.” He kissed my cheek, grinning crookedly.

“I do try,” I giggled. “Would you care to help me with dinner? Put those new cooking skills to use?”

“I thought you’d never ask, Mrs. Cullen,” he laughed.

**A/N: I had every plan of having the Wrigley Field concerts be in this chapter, but as I was writing this, I wanted to have the conversation with Senior be in Edward’s point of view. Pictures from this chapter are on blog (Edward and Bella’s Chicago brownstone, inspiration for the photoshoots and perhaps some citrusy pictures, too). You can find the link on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.**

**Up next will be the remainder of Chicago, including the concerts in Wrigley Field, some news about the stalker, fun in Memphis and leading us up to Jacksonville. And with Jacksonville … who does that remind you of? And who do you think is the stalker?**

**Leave me some loving. Thanks for reading!**

 

 

 

 


	15. The Friendly Confines, Graceland and Hotlanta

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be the remainder of Chicago, including the concerts in Wrigley Field, some news about the stalker, fun in Memphis and leading us up to Jacksonville. And with Jacksonville … who does that remind you of? And who do you think is the stalker?**

**Chapter Fifteen: The Friendly Confines, Graceland and Hotlanta**

**EPOV**

After a delicious dinner, we were sitting on the back patio with a fire burning in the fire pit. Bella and Kathryn were chatting about the concert at Wrigley Field. Senior, Kathryn and several other lawyers were going to attend the concert with some students from the Elizabeth Masen Music Center. As we were sitting in the backyard, I noticed my biological father was shifting uncomfortably.

“You okay, Dad?” I asked, blinking over at him. “You look as nervous as a whore in church.”

“Edward,” Senior chuckled, arching a brow. “Language.”

“Seriously, though,” I murmured as Bella and Kathryn went inside. They were talking about trying some new tea. But, if I had to guess, they were giving me and my father some private time. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s nothing wrong,” Senior said, sipping his wine. “I’m just so proud of you. You are successful, kind, smart, ambitious and loving. You treat Bella how I treated your mother, with love and respect. She would have loved her, you know?”

“Mom?” I whispered.

“Yeah,” Senior said, putting his wine glass on the table. “I know that our relationship went through some struggles. All of that was my fault because of my inability to cope with your mother’s death. I want to you to know that I never stopped loving you, Edward.”

“I know, Dad,” I said. “It still hurt to think that you gave me up.”

“I could barely take care of myself. I did what I needed to do to make sure you were safe, cared for … if you’d stayed with me, I probably would have fucked things up,” Senior deadpanned.

“Language, Dad,” I teased.

He gave me a wry look. “Sorry.” He leaned forward, looking at me. “Our relationship has improved, but I still feel like there’s a distance between us, Edward. As weird as it sounds, you never said that you’ve loved me. Not since we …”

“Dad, I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I never thought … I never meant … I’m so sorry.” I got up. Senior stood up as well. I hugged him tightly. “I love you, Dad. I’m grateful that we’ve had the opportunity to get to know each other again.”

“I will do everything to for you, Edward,” he said, pulling back and cupping my face. “I’m proud of you, the boy you were, the man you’ve become and the person you will always be. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Dad,” I sniffled, kissing his cheek and hugging him once again.

“Edward Squared, do you guys want dessert?” Bella giggled, leaning against the doorway.

“What’s on the menu?” Senior asked.

“Bella brownies and raspberry cheesecake bites,” she responded. “The cheesecake bites are made by Ryan. They’re quite delicious. I would have never thought that Ryan, security guard beefcake, was a fabulous pastry chef.”

“Bella brownies?” Senior asked, arching a brow.

“Brownies with caramel, cheesecake and chocolate chips,” Bella giggled. “And a chocolate, rum glaze. Very decadent and with very little nutritional value.” She smiled softly, ducking inside. We snuck inside and had several pieces of both confectionary treats.

Kathryn and Senior left just before eleven, hugging us. Just before Senior left, I pulled him aside. “I really like Kathryn,” I said. “She makes you smile and she challenges you.”

“I like her, too. And you’re certain you’re okay with us being together?” he asked.

“I am, Dad,” I said, grinning crookedly. “I love you and be safe.”

“Safe?” he chuckled.

“Condoms, Dad,” I deadpanned. His eyes widened and he blushed a bright red. “I’m not concerned about pregnancy, but you never know.”

“Oh, God!” he guffawed. “Edward!” He blinked, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“Just saying,” I smirked.

“Well, we haven’t crossed _that_ bridge, son,” Senior blushed. “See you on stage. Break a leg.” He cupped my cheek again. “Love you, Edward.”

“Love you, too, Dad,” I said. He patted my cheek, leaving with Kathryn. I slid behind Bella, wrapping my arms her waist. “That went well. I like Kathryn. She seems good for my dad.”

“I like her. She’s got a dry sense of humor, but very warm,” Bella said, tugging me into the kitchen. “Help with me the dishes, handsome. I cooked today and gave you some time to talk to your dad. Now, use those sexy ass hands to scour the dishes.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I laughed.

xx LMDC xx

The next day, we went to Wrigley Field and did a walk-through of our concert, doing a sound check and checking the LED screen art. Things looked great and I felt giddy at performing historic Wrigley Field. And being a die-hard Cubs fan, I was fulfilling something on my bucket list, in going to a concert at one of the oldest baseball stadiums in the country.

“Edward, you’re practically vibrating,” Jasper snickered. “Why are you having a whole-body orgasm over performing here?”

“It’s _Wrigley Field_ ,” I said, holding my hands out and spinning on the stage. “Not many artists get the opportunity to perform here. I mean, Billy Joel has come here four years in a row. Green Day is coming in a couple of weeks, after numerous requests to perform. Now? We’re on that short list of performers who have had the distinction who have performed here. And … _and_ … we’re performing here the _year_ after the Cubs won the World Series. Kris Bryant is going to be here. Grandpa Rossy, too.”

“Who is he talking about?” Emmett asked, draping his arm over Bella’s shoulder. “Who are these people? They have grandpas playing on this team? How did they win the World Series?”

“I don’t know, but he’s happy,” Bella snickered. “And I’ve seen this Kris Bryant character. He’s hot.”

“Hello? Husband standing right here,” I deadpanned, gesturing to myself. “Kris Bryant is _attractive_. I’ll admit that I have a tiny man-crush on him, but I’m pretty damned hot. Have you seen my muscles? Tattoos? Heard me play guitar?”

“Don’t push it,” Alice giggled, typing on her tablet. “Kris Bryant is gorgeous. Too bad he’s married.”

“Your _boyfriend_ is gorgeous, too, Mary Alice,” Kellan smirked. “And I do amazing things with my tongue. Do you want a demonstration tonight?”

“True,” Alice said, shooting him a smile. “And, yes, please.”

“Ugh, I don’t want to hear that,” I deadpanned. “That’s my sister.”

“Sorry,” Kellan chuckled. “But, I wanted to remind your sister about my talents and that we’re together. Kris Bryant may be gorgeous, but _we’re_ a couple.”

“A little fantasy never hurts anyone,” Alice said, getting up and linking her arm with Kellan. She kissed his lips, patting his ass. “And I love your tongue.”

“Good to know,” Kellan said. “I hope you love other things, beside my tongue.”

“No, your tongue. And your cock,” Alice said. “And let’s not forget …”

“ALICE!” I bellowed. “I … I need brain bleach. You’re tainting, _tainting_ the Friendly Confines.” I tugged my Cubs hat off my head, pulling at my hair. “Can we finish the sound check and such?”

“We should. Agent Torres is meeting us at the hotel. He’s got news about the threat in Peoria,” Kellan said. “And I’m sorry, Edward, about crossing that line, but from what I’ve heard of you two porn stars in the tour bus and hotel rooms, turnabout’s fair play.”

“Fuck you,” I laughed.

“You’re not my type,” Kellan chuckled, walking over to Lou to sign off on some deliveries. “I like your _sister_.”

We finished our sound check and met with several Pandora security team, verifying their jobs at the venue. We wanted to make sure that no one would be trying to sabotage the Chicago performance at Wrigley. We also had extra police patrols surrounding Wrigley Field, making sure that there were no unauthorized entries. Getting into a waiting SUV, we drove to the hotel and met with Agent Torres and a representative from Homeland, Agent Gallo. Unfortunately, there were no further leads from the bomb threat. No forensic evidence from the letter, nor any evidence of bombs within the Civic Center. That made us all collectively relax, but the threat was still out there with no clues as to who it was.

Talk about frustration.

After we met with Agent Torres and Agent Gallo, everyone came over to our house and we had an impromptu barbeque. Senior and Kathryn joined us, as well. While hanging out with our friends and family, Bella was quiet and very cuddly. I didn’t mind. I loved holding my wife, but she seemed unsettled. Taking her hand, I led her inside to the kitchen and put her on the counter. The same counter I’d fucked her on several nights previous. “Talk to me, _cantante,”_ I whispered. “Why are you being so snuggly?”

“Because I love you?” she quipped, tracing her finger down my scruffy jaw. I arched a brow, kissing her nose. “Okay, I’m just freaking out about the _lack_ of evidence from the Peoria letters. I mean, shouldn’t they have something? We’re no closer to figuring out who is responsible for this nightmare.”

“I know, beautiful,” I sighed, stepping between her legs and taking her face in my hands. “But, you said that we can’t live in fear.”

“Even if we can’t, it’s still terrifying,” she said, leaning forward and putting her cheek on my shoulder. “I just want to be close to you. I love you, Edward and if anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“I feel the same way, _cantante_ ,” I whispered, holding her tightly to my body. “And if it means that I get to snuggle with you more, I’ll take it.”

“Good,” she said, moving even closer to me. “Can we just hide in our bedroom the rest of the night? Lose the clothes?”

“No, baby,” I laughed. “They’re spending time in our house. We have to be gracious hosts.” She sighed, tightening her hold around me. “Five minutes and then we have to go back outside.”

“Fine,” she huffed, kissing my neck. We stayed there until Emmett came in with Ainsley, showing her where the bathroom was located. I helped Bella off the counter and we went back outside, sitting down on the chaise lounge. Jasper had a guitar, idly playing some pieces. I grabbed my own guitar, joining him and it was a quiet, relaxing evening. Everyone left at midnight after Alice and Nia convinced Bella to get some pampering at the hotel. She reluctantly agreed, only going if Ainsley and Kathryn joined them.

The next day, Bella left early with Ainsley and I went to the hotel, hanging out with the guys. With Ryan, Greg and Max, we went for a run along the lake before spending time at the spa to get our hair cut and styled for the performance that evening. Dressing in the clothes that Alice left for me in Jasper’s room, I finished getting ready for the concert and the nerves hit me big time.

“Ed, man? You okay?” Emmett asked, idly tapping on a practice pad. “You look like you’re going to hurl.”

“That’s because I am,” I moaned. “This is a big deal, Emmett. This is _Wrigley Field._ This is my home town and I don’t want to fuck up. We’re rusty, with a week off since our last performance. I’m freaking out.”

“Do you need to get drunk?” Jasper asked, sipping a beer.

“No. I need to be clear-headed,” I sighed. “Where are Alice, Nia and Bella? I haven’t heard from my wife since she left this morning.”

“Alice sent a text an hour ago, they’re heading to the stadium from the spa,” Kellan said, sauntering in and tapping on his cell phone. “We’ve got to go if we want to have another brief sound check. Plus, we’ve got the pictures from _Rolling Stone_. Ryan and Greg are waiting in the parking garage. Max is coordinating at the park and Ainsley is with the girls.”

“Only Ainsley?” I asked.

“There were some undercover Pandora agents at the spa,” Kellan said. “Shall we?”

“The sooner the better,” I grumbled. “I’m an anxious mess. I mean, yeah. Once I get one performance under my belt at the Friendly Confines, I won’t be so nervous. Yeah, let’s go.” We went down to the parking garage, getting into the SUV. Ryan drove us to Wrigleyville. We entered the stadium through the entrance, usually reserved for the baseball players. The butterflies attacked my belly and I blew out a harsh breath. “I don’t know if I can do this. I mean, this is huge. Bigger than Madison Square Garden.”

“Edward, you need to breathe,” Kellan said. “Bella’s in there and she can calm you down.”

“I may need another shirt,” I muttered. “I think I sweat through this one.”

“That’s usually my schtick,” Jasper guffawed, slapping my shoulder. “And, ew. You’re right.” He wiped his hand on the couch. He wrinkled his nose, walking into the door. I followed him and we went into the Cub’s locker room.

Bella was in there with The Cliffhangers. She looked sexy as hell, wearing a pair of black halter top and some barely-legal shorts that showed off her long, shapely legs. Her hair was braided and hung over her shoulder. Her laughter did calm me down and when her milk chocolate eyes met mine, she beamed. “Edward.” Her smile fell when she saw my panicked look. She walked over to me, guiding me to a quiet corner. “Damn, you’re drenched.”

“Really, really nervous,” I chuckled. “Like, nauseatingly nervous.”

“More like …” she trailed off, plucking at my soaked t-shirt. “Let’s get you changed. I know you’re going to be a sweaty mess once this concert is over, but we don’t want you to start off being gross.” I nodded, watching as she got another shirt from a clothing rack. I removed my sweat-soaked shirt, toweling off and putting on some fresh deodorant and the new shirt. As I changed, I could hear the crowd filter into the dressing room. “I’m almost tempted to have you shower, Edward.”

“Not if I’m going to get gross later,” I chuckled. “I can’t believe that I’m this nervous, Bella. Why am I so nervous?”

“I don’t know, but we’re going to be on stage. Together,” she said, taking my hand. “I love you and I’m proud of you. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished as a couple, as a band. They love us. Yes, we got some backlash about canceling that concert in Peoria, but it was necessary.”

“Safety first,” I sighed, tugging her closer and hugging her.

“Are you still nervous?” she asked, rubbing my back.

“A little bit,” I replied, “but being with you makes everything better. I love you, _cantante_.”

“I love you, too,” Bella breathed. We broke apart as The Cliffhangers went up to perform. “Come on. Let’s relax in the Cub’s locker room. It’s shockingly nice.” I nodded, twining my fingers with hers. We hung out and just prior to the end of The Cliffhanger’s set, we prayed. Heading up to the stage, we huddled on the wings. The music began piping through large speakers and we shuffled on the stage. With Lou’s count in, we joined in with the recording as it faded away. I fumbled over the strings and I felt the nerves come back.

Bella sashayed over to me, sharing my mic. She kissed my temple. “Breathe, baby,” she whispered.

“I’m trying,” I whispered back. She looked at me, breathing slowly and I worked with her. I calmed down and was able to play without picking the wrong strings. Bella sang our opening number at my microphone, giving me the support I needed. By the second song, Bella was back to her mic and flirting with the audience, rallying them into a frenzy. By the third act, we’d found our groove. It was rough to begin with, but the crowd still loved us.

The concert flew by and I was finally comfortable, interacting with the crowd, my family and making vocal love to my wife. As we finished our encore, I didn’t want the night to end and I was grateful that we had an opportunity to do this again tomorrow.

Jasper, Emmett, Alice, Nia and Kellan went back to the hotel. We went back to the house. Bella and I barely made into our bedroom before our clothes were strewn all over the room. I spent most of the night worshiping my wife’s body. We slept in, hiding in our bedroom, with me sneaking to get us some food, until we had to head over to Wrigley Field. We arrived and we met up with Angela. She was backstage, flipping through her tablet. “Oh! You’re all here! I have pictures from last night.”

“I’d forgotten that the camera guy was here,” Emmett chuckled. “How did things turn out?”

“Take a look,” Angela said, handing him the tablet. We all circled around him and were in shock at how amazing the photos looked. There were some great shots of us on stage and some very poignant shots from backstage. There was a quiet moment between Bella and me, her calming me down and caressing my cheek. “I spoke with John and he said that any pictures you want, he can make prints of for your personal collection.”

“That would be great,” Bella said. “I want that one. It’s such a sweet moment.”

“Done,” Angela chirped. “I’m almost done with the article and will have a draft sent to you by the time you get to Atlanta. The article itself will be run in the September issue, with you on the cover.” She took the tablet, swiping the photos and showed us the mock up. “What do you think?”

“We’re going to be on the cover of _Rolling Stone_ ,” Jasper breathed. “Holy fucking shit! This is unbelievable.”

“It’s believable,” Angela smirked. “You guys are hot shit. You have a number one single on the Billboard charts, an amazing tour and something that not many bands have … camaraderie, respect and integrity. I knew you were going to be a big deal in college.”

“Thank you, Angela,” Bella whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “It means a lot to us to hear you say that.”

“Now, I’m watching the concert tonight as a fan, not a reporter. Ben is waiting in one of the sky boxes. I’m using _Rolling Stone’s_ dime to be in air conditioned goodness. Congratulations,” she sang, hugging Bella and then turning to the rest of us.

With a kiss to my cheek, Angela waddled away with Kellan to go to the sky box. Alice dragged Bella away and they went to darken her makeup. Nia worked on the guys, not pleased with our attire for the evening. I was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a black button down with a gray t-shirt underneath, with just my jeans changed. Emmett was in nothing but a pair of jeans, his muscled chest on display, along with his numerous tattoos. Jasper had his entire outfit changed. “Jas, I love you, but the vest thing and fedora? Totally out of style,” Nia sighed, stuffing his hat into the garbage.

“That’s my lucky hat,” Jasper whined.

“I’ll rock your world tonight, Jasper,” Nia purred.

“You rock my world every night, Nia,” Jasper pouted. “But, I want my hat.” He tried to walk over to the garbage can, grabbing at his hat.

“Too bad, so sad,” Nia laughed, dragging him away from the garbage can. “Come on, baby. I’ll give you a blow job. Will that make you happy?”

“Too much information,” I snorted. Nia stuck out her tongue, taking Jasper out of the locker room to give him said blow job. Emmett and I sat down, looking at the tablet with the photos from Angela and her photographer. The pictures were simply amazing and I wanted the name of the photographer for some more photos we’d take in the future. He really caught the intensity of our concert, the respect for each other and the love between the couples in the band.

“I wish Rosie was here,” Emmett said, leaning back and blowing out a breath.

“Have you talked to her recently?” I asked.

“We’ve texted back and forth. She asked how Bella was doing after the decision to cancel the Peoria show. I told her the real reason we canceled the concert and she freaked out,” he sighed. “She wanted to fly out and spend time with us, but her new job has her jumping through hoops.”

“How are the two of you doing?” I questioned.

“Awkward,” Emmett replied. “The trust is not there and I know it’s all my fault.” He leaned forward, looking down at the picture of Bella and me on stage, flirting and smiling. “I may have to come to grips that my mistakes ended my marriage.”

“I’m sorry, Em,” I frowned. He shrugged, getting up and leaving me. Jasper came back with a goofy smile on his face. “Good blow job?”

“That girl has a magical tongue,” Jasper breathed. “She does this …”

“I don’t want to hear it,” I snorted. Jasper gave me another smile. I smacked him. Bella came in with Alice and we hung out until we were supposed to go on stage. Emmett was quiet and, from his expression, very upset. He’d turn it on when he got on stage, but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. When we said our prayers, Emmett asked for strength and I knew he was struggling.

On stage, as I predicted, Emmett turned it on and the second show was better than the first. We also had several of the Cubs come up on stage with the World Series Trophy. Bella was wedged between Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. I was next to Javy Baez and Jake Arrietta. We played “Go Cubs, Go!” before our fifth act and the concert ended all too quickly.

We partied with several of the Cubs players at one of the bars in Wrigleyville before heading to the house. Bella and I showered before climbing into bed, crashing hard from the adrenaline from the performances at the Friendly Confines.

It was a dream come true.

But, doing it with my beautiful wife? It was heaven on earth.

xx LMDC xx

We left around ten to drive to St. Louis. The following day, we performed at Chaifetz Arena. It was blissfully quiet in regard to the stalker. The performance in St. Louis was good, but not great. We suffered some sound issues and some of LED screens were not functioning properly for the second half of the concert. They’d be repaired when we arrived at Memphis, but it kind of took to the magic out of our performance.

We left St. Louis and drove to Memphis. Upon our arrival, we went to the hotel and changed. We were going to perform on Beale Street at one of the many amazing bars on that historical, musical street. After our performance at the bar, we let the roadies take down the set up and we wandered along Beale Street, smiling with fans and enjoying some local beers and food. I knew that Ryan, Greg and Max were freaking out, but we’d never been to Memphis. This was a music mecca. So many people had their starts here and we were going to capitalize on being on musical holy ground.

The next morning, we had some recording time set up at Sun Records. We weren’t going to use these recordings for any albums, but we wanted the opportunity to set foot in the same historic location where Elvis had begun his career, where the million-dollar quartet performed.

Yeah, we were geeking out.

After our time at Sun Records, we decided to go to Graceland and tour Elvis’s home. And with no disrespect to the King of Rock of Roll, just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you have taste. The Polynesian room? _Yeesh_.

We left Graceland and went back to the hotel to get ready for the concert at Fed Ex Forum. Again, things were quiet and we didn’t hear anything from our tormentors, thankfully. The screens were repaired. There was a short in the system and with some rewiring, it was as good as new. It made for an amazing concert. We were comfortable, confident and safe. Bella’s actions on stage showed the ease in her mind. It was almost like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

That night, Bella showed me how much she loved me and we fucked each other like animals. It was a sexy, intense night. The next morning, we rode the bus to Atlanta and decided to use the night to relax. Bella and I watched a movie with our friends in the penthouse suite. Well, Bella slept through the movie, with her head in my lap. Everyone else watched the movie. I gently ran my fingers through her hair, smiling softly seeing how beautiful she was.

“She’s exhausted,” Alice whispered after Emmett went back to his room and Jasper and Nia snuck off to do whatever they wanted to do. Probably each other.

“We’re all exhausted,” I chuckled, looking over at my sister. “Even your boyfriend. I think he’s drooling.”

Alice made a face, moving her shoulder and forcing Kellan to fall over the edge of the couch. “Yuck. He’s great, but the drooling is pretty damned gross.”

“I’m shocked you’re dating Kellan,” I teased. “You’re total opposites.”

“Oh, no. He’s just as much as a control freak like me,” Alice snickered. “He’s probably even worse than me.” She reached over, twining her fingers with his. “But, he makes me happy, Edward. I never felt this way about anyone. Even, Jasper.”

“Do you love him?” I whispered. Alice nodded, kissing Kellan’s hand. “Have you told him?” She shook her head. “Don’t wait. He’s a good guy.”

“He is,” Alice breathed. Kellan snored, moving and snuggling against Alice. “Baby, you’re spent. Want to go to bed?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Is he awake?” I whispered.

“No,” Alice giggled. She stood up, tugging on Kellan’s hand. He barely opened his eyes, following Alice out of the suite and into their room. I got up, scooping Bella up in my arms and carrying her to our room. I removed her clothes, putting her in one of my t-shirts. She barely moved, curling around the pillow. I changed, brushing my teeth and removing my contacts. I got into bed, wrapping my body around hers.

The next day, we woke up to our phones ringing. It was Kellan. “Hello?”

“Suite. Now,” he barked.

“Fuck,” I growled, hanging up the phone. Bella was sitting up and rubbing her face. “We’re needed.”

“I heard. Do you think it’s the stalker?” she asked. I grimaced. We both put on our glasses and went into the suite. Everyone was in there, along with Ryan and Ainsley. “What is it?”

“We waited to talk to you until we had more information,” Ryan said. He sighed, pulling out his phone and showing us a picture. It was a bouquet of dead flowers with an envelope inside it. “It’s another threat, Edward. This was delivered just prior to our arrival.”

“A bomb threat?” Bella asked, her voice wavering and her body trembling against me.

“Yes,” Ryan whispered. “But, we checked Philips Arena and there was no bomb. We had bomb sniffing dogs check every nook and cranny. Nothing.”

“Thank goodness,” Alice breathed. “What about the concert?”

“I think we should cancel,” I said. “Another bomb threat? Dead flowers? Was there a letter?”

“Yes, and it was quite, um, graphic,” Ainsley said, her voice barely audible. “Someone from the Atlanta field office of the FBI picked up the evidence.”

“We need to cancel,” I growled. Bella was crying softly and her face was pale, covered with sweat. “Shhh, _cantante,_ you’re okay. I’ve got you.”

“We’re not canceling,” she bit out.

“What?” I asked.

“We’re not canceling. This monster is not going to make us cancel another performance. There’s no evidence of a bomb, right?” Bella asked, looking directly at Ryan.

“None within the arena. We’ve got a team looking around the premises, checking for any proof of a bomb. If we do decide to plan on having the concert, security will be stepped up, significantly,” Ryan said. “But, I’m with Edward. We should cancel.”

“No!” Bella yelled, shooting up and glaring at him. “There’s a lot of money invested in this tour and our integrity is on the line. I’m not going to bow down to this monster’s will.” She stumbled, her face getting even paler. I hopped up, catching her before she collapsed. “Dizzy spell.”

“You’re not well. We should …” I hissed.

“I just need to eat, Edward,” she said. “We’re not canceling. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you, Bella,” I sighed, kissing her temple. “Are we going to hear from Agent Torres?”

“More than likely,” Ryan sighed. “We’re going to do another sweep of the arena and discuss the increased security with the staff at Philips Arena. I’m sorry about being the bearer of bad news.”

“Just keep them safe, Ryan,” Kellan snapped. “Whatever you need to do to do that, do it.” Ryan nodded and left with Ainsley. He pinched his nose. “This is a cluster fuck. I hope you all know that. We should cancel.”

“Kellan,” Bella said, leaning heavily against me. “We’re not canceling. I feel like a total fraud about canceling in Peoria. We said that I’m dealing with vocal fatigue. Yes, I’ve got vocal fatigue, but … No, we’re not canceling. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you, Bells,” Kellan said. He looked at my wife, his brows furrowing. “You look like hell, Bella. I love you like a sister, but you’re pale and shaky. Go back to bed. Edward, order some food for her and take it easy until we need to head to the venue.”

“I’m fine,” Bella argued, getting up and immediately sitting back down heavily. “I’m really dizzy.”

“We’ll get out of your hair,” Emmett said, getting up with Jasper. “We’ll check on you later today.” Everyone scuttled out of the living room. I moved so I was in front of my wife. She was almost white, her lips a ghastly gray.

“Bella, you do look like hell,” I said. “I love you, baby. Maybe we should cancel?”

“No,” she said, panting slightly. “I’m just really lightheaded and dizzy. I think it’s a combination of not eating dinner yesterday and the stress of the announcement from Ryan. Can you just order something heavy in grease and carbs?”

“Your wish is my command,” I said, kissing her forehead. I ordered us a large breakfast. Bella lay down on the couch, curling up under a blanket. When it arrived, I practically had to feed her since she was weak as a newborn kitten. However, once she had food in her system, she perked up. “Better?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m going to shower.” She got up and stumbled. I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m still a little dizzy.”

“Bella, you’re worrying me. I think all of this is getting to you,” I murmured.

“I’m fine,” she said, kissing my cheek. “I’m totally fine.”

I wanted to believe her, but seeing her pale face and unsteady gait, it put me on edge. More so than the threatening letters and flowers. This was causing my wife pain. It was causing me pain.

And my fear was that it was only going to get worse. The eternal optimist in me was even panicking. I’d thought that the stalker was giving up with the pressure of the FBI and Homeland, but apparently not.

I had to be strong, for my wife, for me, for us.

But, could I?

**A/N: We covered a lot of ground. We’re now at the end of July, in Atlanta. And what’s up with Bella? Is she sick or stressed? Anyhow, pictures of Wrigley Field and the venues from St. Louis, Memphis and Atlanta are on my blog, along with some other pictures from those locations (Graceland, Sun Records, Beale Street). Link for that is on my profile. You can also find me on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and twitter, too: tufano79**

**Up next will be Jacksonville – remember who’s there? And Orlando. There will be some drama in the next chapter, but also some citrusy goodness and some resolution of issues. Leave me some. Thank you for reading! :-)**

 


	16. Mother Dearest ... Brother Mine

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**We’re now at the end of July, in Atlanta. And what’s up with Bella? Is she sick or stressed? We’re also leading us up to Jacksonville. And with Jacksonville … who does that remind you of? And who do you think is the stalker? And Orlando. There will be some drama in the next chapter, but also some citrusy goodness and some resolution of issues.**

**Chapter Sixteen: Mother Dearest … Brother Mine**

**BPOV**

I didn’t remember the Atlanta performance. It was a complete a total blur. I was still not feeling a hundred percent. I felt better after I ate, but I felt like my head was disconnected from my body. I knew that everything went well and the crowd loved our performance, but I was oblivious. I stayed oblivious as Edward guided me back to the hotel. I took a shower, scrubbing my body and crashing as soon as I was done.

The next morning, when we left, I was a zombie and went directly to the back of the tour bus to get some more sleep. I was nauseous and very, very dizzy. Edward checked on me, taking my temperature. “You don’t have a fever,” Edward said, his fingers combing my hair. “Do you want something to eat?”

“Not really,” I shrugged. “I think all of this is just getting to me.”

“How about some tea? There’s some of that soothing herbal stuff,” Edward murmured, giving me his beautiful crooked grin.

“That actually sounds great,” I said, sitting up and a wave of nausea hit me. I hid it with a grimace. Edward frowned, getting up and kissing my forehead. He ducked out, making the tea in the kitchenette. I worked on the computer on the score for _High Life_. We were almost done with the score and just making final changes, suggested by Larry and Jerome. Edward came back with a cup of tea and some toast with grape jelly. He sat down next to me, looking at the score. “Do you think we’re almost done?”

“I’m just going through and making finishing touches,” I said, handing him the computer while I took the tea and toast. “Did they find any forensic evidence in this threat?”

“Possibly. The envelope and flowers are being sent to the lab in Quantico,” Edward said. “They have the best forensic lab in the country. If anyone can find anything, they can.”

I nodded, biting my lip and nibbling on the toast. “I hope that we get some sort of clue as to who’s doing this,” I grumbled. “And it doesn’t help that we’re going to Jacksonville, too.”

“Yeah,” Edward said, closing the laptop and sitting cross legged on the bed. “Phil called me while you were taking a nap, beautiful.”

“Oh?” I was shocked to hear this. Shortly after my wedding to Edward, Phil had had enough of my mom’s bullshit and divorced her. He moved out, leaving her the house and starting fresh in a different part of town. “What did he say?”

“He’d like to see you,” he explained. “He knows that your relationship with Renee is in the shitter, but he misses you, Bella.”

“I miss him, too. He was a good guy,” I shrugged, sipping my tea. “Have you heard from Renee?”

“No, but Phil said that Renee is not quiet about her disdain for you,” Edward growled. “Raging bitch.”

“Not a shocker there,” I snorted. “When are we meeting Phil?”

“Tonight, at the hotel. We’re going to have dinner with him,” Edward said. “Emmett’s going to be with us, too.”

“Awesome,” I said, feeling better. “Hopefully my mom won’t cause any issues, but not I’m not holding my breath. With our luck, lately, she’ll make some huge announcement tainting our reputation.”

“Again, further proof that she’s a raging bitch,” Edward deadpanned. “I know that she’s your mom, but she’s fucking nuts.”

“She is,” I sighed. “I should be more upset, but I’m not. She made her bed and now she has to lie in it.” I scrubbed my face, putting the plate on the nightstand and finished my toast. “We should be prepared for her special brand of crazy.”

“Kellan and Nia are already checking social media sites,” Edward chuckled, wrapping me in his arms. “We’re also posting some of the photos from the _Rolling Stone_ shoot, with Angela’s blessing. It’s going to be a huge tease. We’re going to post it on our Instagram, twitter and website, coinciding with _Rolling Stone’s_ media blitz, too. We need to keep things positive. You know?”

“Agreed,” I nodded. “With the cancelled concert in Peoria and the issues with the lights in St. Louis, we need to pump up the positivity.”

“Are you feeling better?” Edward asked. “You seem to have more color.”

“A little. Not as dizzy and the nausea has gone away. I think all of this is getting to me. I know all of this is getting to me,” I sighed.

“Could you please be checked out by a doctor, Bella?” Edward whispered. “When I was out in the kitchenette, I texted Kellan and Nia. They’re arranging for a doctor to meet us at the hotel.”

“Okay,” I said, leaning my cheek against his bicep. “It could just be exhaustion.”

“I hoping that’s all it is and you just need some extra rest, but I want to make sure,” Edward said, laying down. “Now, try to get some rest. We’ve got another couple of hours before we’re at the hotel.” I nodded, my mind already drifting and tumbling into a deep sleep, safe in the arms of my husband.

When I woke up, I was in the bed of some upscale hotel in Jacksonville. I could hear voices speaking quietly and I got up out of bed, walking shakily to go to the bathroom. I peed and washed my face, feeling somewhat normal. Padding to the living area of the hotel, I smiled at Kellan and Edward. “Hey. Did you carry my fat ass up here?”

“Fat ass?” Edward quipped. “Hardly. You barely weigh anything, sweetheart.”

“His arms were shaking,” Kellan teased, elbowing Edward. He gave Kellan a scowl. “The doctor should be here in an hour, Bella. We’re all worried about you. You’re still pale.”

“Of course, I’m pale,” I deadpanned, sitting down and nibbling on some fresh fruit that had been left in the suite. “I avoid the sun and Casper, the friendly ghost, is my first cousin.”

“There’s pale and then there’s sickly,” Edward frowned. “You look sickly. Your lips are almost white.”  I pursed my lips, wrinkling my nose. “But, you’re the most gorgeous sickly woman I’ve even seen.”

“Nice save, Cullen,” I snorted. “What can I expect from this doctor?”

“Usual stuff, plus a blood test,” Kellan said.

“A blood test?” I whined.

“Check for anemia, _cantante_ ,” Edward whispered. “Please?”

I nodded, popping some more fruit in my mouth. It tasted good and I wanted to devour the entire platter. Living off of take out and room service, it was starting to make me crazy. I craved a home-cooked meal, even though we’d had some time at home in Chicago. My inner-introvert was jonesing for some alone time, holing up in my house.

“Save some fruit for the rest of us,” Edward teased.

“Sorry,” I laughed. “The grapes taste really good.”

“I’ll let you guys be. We’re doing a morning show tomorrow and I want to make sure that you’re all set up for your performance,” Kellan said. “I’ll send a text when the doctor is here.” He got up, patting Edward’s shoulder and kissing my forehead. “We’ll get you better, sweetie. Just take it easy.” He left and I snuggled against Edward.

“Phil called. He’ll be here around seven. I ordered some dinner from room service. And not normal room service. I asked for the best meal from their restaurant. I’m a little over room service food, too,” Edward chuckled, picking up my feet and massaging them. “You look a little better. But, I think this is more than exhaustion and stress over the stalker. When did your shot expire?”

“You think I’m pregnant?” I asked.

“Nausea, dizziness, craving food?” he whispered.

“I’ve got …” I trailed off, taking out my phone and checking the calendar. “At least two weeks until my shot is inactive. I’m not pregnant. At least, I don’t think I’m pregnant.”

“The blood test will check for that,” Edward said, cupping my cheek. “Along with anemia and some other common illnesses.” He smiled softly, his eyes glowing with anticipation. “You could be pregnant with our baby, Bella. We’ve been making love like animals.”

“I don’t think it’s possible, but we’ll see,” I said. I grabbed the fruit platter, devouring the rest of the grapes and loving the mixed berries as well. Edward’s phone vibrated and he saw that the doctor was here. Letting in a petite woman, she checked everything on me and took my blood. Even at Edward’s insistence, I peed on a stick, but as I said, I wasn’t pregnant. However, I was diagnosed with anemia and exhaustion. The doctor advised me to take it easy, or as easy as I could since I was in the middle of a national concert tour.

When she left, I took a shower and changed into a light sundress. Edward was wearing a pair of shorts and a polo shirt. Emmett was sipping some water, wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. “Hey,” I smiled. “How are you doing, Em?”

“Good. You look better,” Emmett said.

“I got a B-12 shot and some iron pills,” I said. “I need to take it easy, but that’ll happen once we’re done with our tour. I love doing this, but I’m looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and hiding from the world.”

“You and me, both,” Edward chuckled, opening a bottle of beer. “But, we’re going to have reschedule that performance in Peoria. At least, that’s what Jared said. They’re looking at Halloween weekend. Nothing’s set in stone.”

“How long are we going to have as a break? You know, before we start working on our next album?” Emmett asked.

“We’ll play it by ear,” Edward chuckled, checking his phone. “Phil’s here.”

A few moments later, the door opened and my former stepfather walked in. He looked happier, younger than I’d remembered. He shook Edward’s hand and hugged Emmett. Phil turned to me and he grinned. “You look absolutely gorgeous, Bells,” he said, hugging me tightly. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too, Phil,” I whispered. “How are things?”

“Good. I’ve got a new job. I’m working as a sports writer at one of the local newspapers. I get to travel the country. I was lucky to be in town while you were here,” Phil chuckled. “I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon to do a piece on the Mariners.”

“You can’t come to our concert?” Emmett asked.

“I promise to see you. I got tickets when you’re in Tampa,” he said. “I’m going to be doing an article on the Devil Rays, so I’ll be there.”

“That’s great,” I smiled. “Are you hungry? We got some delicious food on the way.” I led him to the couch and settled next to him.

“I am,” he chuckled, but his smile faded. “I’m excited to be here, but I have some disturbing news about Renee. As soon as she found out that you guys were coming Jacksonville, she’s been bitching something fierce about how you burned her.”

“What?” Edward growled. “We did nothing of the sort.”

“You know that. I know that. But, Renee … she’s the source of several nasty rumors,” Phil whispered. “The baby mama?” He blinked to Emmett, his nose wrinkled. “She was the one who talked the girl into saying that Emmett was the baby’s father. She knew about Emmett’s drug problem and his cheating, capitalizing on his issues.”

“And you know this for certain?” Emmett asked. “I should talk to that lawyer that I’m using for the defamation suit. Name my mom.”

“I don’t have definitive proof,” Phil sighed. “However, I heard it through the grapevine that she’s going to be giving an interview at some point tomorrow. She’s planning on using your celebrity to get her own fifteen minutes of fame. One of my coworkers in the arts and entertainment section mentioned that estranged mother of Isabella and Emmett Swan is going to be talking to one of the major networks.”

“Is it the NBC affiliate?” Edward asked.

“No. ABC,” Phil said. “I tried to call her and talk to her, but we’re not exactly on speaking terms. Our divorce was quite contentious.”

“What happened?” Emmett asked. “I thought you and Mom were happy.”

“I couldn’t get over the fact that she wouldn’t even entertain the idea of coming to your wedding,” Phil said, looking at me. “And then, I tried to reach out, send you a present and Renee went off. She said that I was betraying her by attempting to establish a relationship with you. You’re my stepdaughter. I’m supposed to do that. Then, she said some nonsense that I loved you more than her and she went completely off the rails. She accused me of cheating and became quite physically and verbally abusive. When she hit me, breaking my ribs, I told her that I was done and I moved out.”

“She hit you?” I breathed. “Hit you? That’s unreal.”

“And it wasn’t the first time. I’d heard about abusive relationships with women, but never with a man,” Phil sighed. “I fast-tracked the divorce and she tried to swindle me out of a ton of money. However, based on her abuse, she didn’t get anything and she shit a brick. Like I said, it was quite contentious.” He gave me a grimace. “She’s so bitter, Bella. You got everything she ever wanted. A forever love, fame, wealth and happiness.”

“She had a forever love with you,” I whispered.

“I thought so, too, but she wanted fame and wealth. I had minor fame with my minor-league baseball career, but the wealth wasn’t enough to keep her happy,” he sighed. “Anyway, enough of my drama. Tell me all about the tour so far. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things and I own all of your recordings, playing them in my cube and driving my coworkers crazy.”

As we told him about some of our adventures, the food was set up and we ate a delicious meal of baked salmon, salad, and quinoa risotto. Edward pulled some strings and upgraded Phil’s tickets. He was going to hang out backstage and then go up to a private box with Alice, Kellan, Nia and the woman he was dating in Tampa. Phil left shortly after coffee and dessert, having to pack for his trip to Seattle.

The next day, we went to the NBC studio and performed three pieces live on the morning show. As we were cleaning up, one of the producers came in. “I think you guys should see this,” he said, turning on the television. “Apparently, one of the other stations countered your performance with an interview with your mom, Mrs. Cullen, Mr. Swan.”

“And we’re back with Renee Higginbotham,” said the woman on a brightly colored sofa. “She’s the mother of the famed musical duo, Emmett Swan and Isabella Cullen, nee Swan. We were talking about your estrangement from your children.”

“Yes,” Renee frowned. “I tried to reach out to my babies, but they don’t take my phone calls.”

“Lies,” I growled. “She doesn’t fucking call.”

“I think that Emmett is still using alcohol and drugs. It’s all because of this rock and roll life style. He doesn’t have the means to cope with it,” Renee sniffled. “Bella is so immature and entitled. She and her husband are sex addicts, having sex in public places and embarrassing me. I’ve also heard rumors that Edward is violent toward my daughter, forcing her to be with numerous men in order to make him happy.”

“We’ve never seen proof of this,” the reporter explained. “In fact, Emmett has been extremely candid about his continued sobriety. Also, Bella is one of the few musicians, along with her husband, who have been known to have integrity and poise in a world where artists are criticized for every mistake they make.”

“It’s all a façade,” Renee said coldly. “My daughter ignores me. I need her now. I’m sick and I’m alone. I need my baby girl.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just sick of being alone, being hurt by people who are supposed to love me,” Renee cried. “My marriage ended because of my famous children. I want to see them. Mommy misses you.”

“Thank you for your time, Ms. Higginbotham,” the reporter said, her brow arched and a look of discomfort on her face. “Up next will be the weather. Over to you, Suzy.”

Kellan burst into the room, his face red and his hair wild. Well, as wild as a buzz cut could be, but he had a crazed look on his face. He was on the phone. “You never thought to _fact check_ Renee’s story? You went live with that loon and now? We’re fielding calls about Emmett’s sobriety and that Edward is an abusive bastard. I expect a full apology and retraction of that interview. My clients are not anything that woman claimed in her interview. If you dig deeper into her history, she’s a liar and quite abusive to her ex-husband.”

“I can’t believe that Renee said those things,” Alice whispered.

“I could. She’s delusional,” I sighed. “But, to air out our dirty laundry? Even if it wasn’t true?”

“I’m not abusive,” Edward hissed. “I’ve never … Bella? How could she say that?”

“I don’t know, but …” I trailed off as Kellan’s phone rang.

“Oh, thank you,” he barked. He picked up the remote, turning the television back on. “Already? I’m glad to hear it. If you hadn’t done something, you would have heard from our attorneys.”

“Before we move onto afternoon sports, we would like to apologize to Breaking Midnight. Emmett Swan and Isabella Cullen, in particular. We were contacted by Renee, the estranged mother of the two famous performers from the hit band. She said that she wanted to talk to her children, wishing to reach out. However, we never expected to hear bald-faced lies from her. We pray that the band accepts our sincerest apologies regarding the interview we just aired. Our producers informed us that almost everything she shared was not true and it was never our intention to cause any harm. We’ll have more information at four, but we felt the need to express our sincerest apologies.”

Kellan turned off the television, his face in a scowl. “Do I need to contact our attorneys?” he asked.

“If anything, have someone approach her about defaming our good name,” Emmett snapped. “She needs to pay for what she did. You know that interview is going to be viral.”

“Done,” Kellan said, dialing Jared. “Now, we’ve got to do a sound check and get ready for the concert tonight. I’m sorry about …”

“You can’t control our incubator,” I snorted derisively.

“I can’t but I still feel badly. I’m surprised that the studio didn’t do their homework before the interview,” he said, scrubbing his face. “There’s an SUV waiting outside. I’m going to finish talking to the station manager and I’ll be with you soon.”

We clambered into the car, waiting for Kellan. He looked a little more relaxed when he got into the car. He took Alice’s hand, kissing her wrist. With a nod, we left the station and drove to the Jacksonville Veteran’s Memorial Arena. We did our sound check and rehearsed a new section of our concert, after the new piece I’d written Edward. We also added some new songs to the encore. After our rehearsal, we ate some early dinner and addressed some of the commentary regarding Renee’s interview. Nia and Kellan wrote a press release, essentially disagreeing with everything that Renee had said.

However, the damage was done.

_Damn it._

The concert, despite the drama of the day, was awesome. The crowds were receptive and excited. They sang along with our songs, cheering excitedly for our newest additions and revamped encore. Based on their reception, the changes to our performance were staying.

After the concert, we received a personal apology from the station manager from the ABC affiliate that had aired the interview with Renee. It was a large bouquet of flowers, which raised my hackles, but seeing the security tape from the hotel with the station manager put my mind at ease. He also wanted us to tape a statement, negating all that my mother had said before we left for Orlando. Kellan made the arrangements for our response and we went to bed.

The next morning, we sat in a closed studio, speaking briefly to the same reporter who had interviewed my mother. She was apologetic and she gave us a half-hour to tape our rebuttal. Once we finished, we got onto the bus and drove to Orlando, staying in a large rental villa in Lake Buena Vista. Apparently, Kellan worked it so we had some time to play in Walt Disney World, followed by several days of rest and relaxation. It was a welcome break from the craziness. We would perform at Epcot the following evening, but we’d have four days to just be … be silly, be tourists, be kids.

Well, not kids since we were technically adults, but not focus on packing up and going to another location.

Kellan even made arrangements for Rose to join us. She was coming down the day after our concert, spending time with us. Emmett was over the moon. He needed that since he had taken a brunt of Renee’s verbal lashing. He was belittled and cursed on twitter, Facebook and other social media by several conservative groups. On the other side of the coin, he was lauded for being so forthcoming with his faults. But, he took everything to heart, hurting because his own mother threw him under the bus.

“Come on, guys! We’ve got to go,” Alice said, tapping her bare wrist. “We’re not using the stage, only doing a partial performance, but we still need to do a sound check.”

“Quit being so bossy, Mary Alice,” Edward grumped. “One of my contacts ripped. I couldn’t find the next box. I’m flying blind here.”

“I’ll order you some new ones,” Alice chuckled.

“I could go on with my glasses,” he chuckled.

“No. Ruins the whole allure of your sexiness,” Nia said, arching a brow.

“I thought I was sexy,” Jasper pouted. “Why are you comparing my sexiness with Edward’s?”

“You are, baby,” Nia said, kissing his cheek. “But, Edward is one of the lead singers of the band. Him wearing his coke-bottle glasses, takes away the _appeal_.”

“I love you in glasses,” I giggled, patting his ass. “I think they’re sexy. It gives you that geek-chic.”

“Stop seducing each other,” Kellan snorted.

“That’s like asking them to stop breathing,” Emmett snorted. “Not possible.”

“Huh, true,” Kellan agreed. “But, we do have to go. And I know that you guys are good about language and stuff, but keep the cuss words to a minimum. We’re performing in Disney World.” He checked his phone. “And we have to go. Ryan is waiting outside with the SUVs.”

A short ride to the park, we went through a quick sound check. We were performing in front of the large globe at Epcot. We were doing an abbreviated set, about an hour long, coinciding with a laser light show and fireworks. It was a specialized show, working with just our music. The graphic designers came up with the show. I’d seen the rough cut on Lou’s computer and it was nothing short of stellar. I couldn’t wait to see it, _experience_ it, live and in person. Secretly, I wished I was in the audience for this special event and not performing it.

“Bella, can we leave your hair down?” Alice asked as she curled it.

“Um, no,” I said. “It’s a million degrees with a thousand percent humidity. Up and off my neck.”

“You’re getting lazy,” Alice snorted.

“No, I need a haircut,” I countered. “It’s getting too long.”

“We can get your haircut and a colored while we’re on this little break,” Nia said, applying some waterproof makeup. “You need some highlights. I’ll find a salon. We can go tomorrow or the day after.”

“No, let’s go in Miami,” I offered. “I don’t want to go to some salon. We’re staying in a nice hotel with a spa. We can get me beautified there.”

Once my makeup and hair were finished, we took some pictures with our cell phones, posting them on our Instagram and twitter. Edward and I had a little too much fun with a pair of Mickey ears, earning a thousand likes in less than ten minutes. We didn’t have much time after that and we got onto the stage. Playing our introduction, we performed our hour-long set and had a meet and greet with our fans who had won a radio contest, along with several Disney characters. It was a fun night.

But, it was the calm before the storm …

_Sigh …_

xx LMDC xx

**EmPOV**

I was an anxious mess. I was seeing Rosie and going to spend time with her, _quality_ time with her for the first time since Edward’s birthday. Not that time was quality. We didn’t spend very much time alone, but we did speak. A little. But, it was strained and polite.

But, for this trip, Rose was going to be staying with me in the villa. Sharing a bed.

_Gulp._

We hadn’t done that in over a year. Partially due to my philandering and to our separation. I was excited to hold my wife, but terrified that the magic we had at the beginning of our relationship had dwindled. I loved her and I always would love her, but my mistakes had taken their toll on both of us.

“Emmett, I just got a text,” Nia said. “Greg is on his way with Rose. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? We’re going to Animal Kingdom.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said. “I miss Rosie and I think having the villa to ourselves might be good. You know?”

“Planning on rekindling the fire?” Nia asked, waggling her brows.

“Maybe,” I replied, blushing brightly. I knew it would be a snowball’s chance in hell before we’d do that and if we did, I want to do it at home. Not in some rental villa. Nia left and I paced in the villa, waiting for Greg to come with my wife. _Estranged_ wife. I didn’t have to wait long. Greg came in, carrying Rose’s bags. She thanked him with a hug and turned to face me. Her hair was blonder and her body was leaner. The sadness in her eyes was still prevalent, churning with wariness and distrust. _Do you blame her, asshole?_ “Hey, Rosie.”

“Emmett,” she said, putting her purse on the chair. “You look … you look good.”

“Thanks,” I said, grinning widely. “So, do you. I really like the hair. Did you put more stuff in it?”

“Highlights? Yes,” she replied, sitting down and taking out her cell phone. She tapped out a message. “Mom wanted me to text her when I got in. She was worried that we’d kill each other. She hates your guts.”

“I don’t blame her. I hate my guts,” I snorted. “But, it’s a work in progress.” I sat down, twisting my wedding band. I wore it when I wasn’t performing. When I was, it was on a chain around my neck. “I do appreciate you coming, Rosie.”

“Emmett, I asked you in June,” she sighed. “Don’t call me Rosie. I’m not your Rosie anymore. She died when you cheated on me.”

“I’m sorry,” I frowned.

“You keep saying sorry, Emmett. Apologies won’t fix our marriage,” she sighed. My frown deepened. “But, I said I’d try. I’ve missed you. I want to enjoy this time with you and perhaps we can take steps to start new. But, that trust is still missing, Emmett. I don’t know if it’ll ever come back.”

“Do you want to go out? Have dinner?” I asked.

“I’d like to see everyone,” she said. “I’ve missed them, too.” She got up and grabbed her bags. “Where am I sleeping?”

“In my room,” I replied, cringing. I pointed to the door on the second level. She blew out a breath. I stood up and took her belongings to my suite. She shifted uncomfortably, staring at the king-sized bed. “I can sleep on the couch.”

“No. You’d fall off,” she said, waving her hand airily. “We may be sleeping together, but we’re not having sex. And no cuddling.” I nodded, feeling dejected. She took out some casual clothes. “I’m going to change and then we can meet up with everyone. Do we still need the protection because of the psycho?”

“They haven’t found anything, so yeah,” I said, grabbing a baseball hat and tugging it on my head. I left her to change and I found Greg, who was supposed to have the afternoon off. I asked him to drive us to Animal Kingdom. He did it with a smile, after texting Max and Ryan, asking their location. The drive was tense. Rose was on her phone the entire time. When we arrived at the park, we walked inside with Max, meeting up with everyone. Rose hugged Bella, Edward, Alice, Jasper and Kellan. She hadn’t even done that with me. I scowled, but stayed quiet.

The day went by at a snail’s pace. Rose _ignored_ me, spending time with Bella and Alice, mainly. I got that she missed them. They were roommates in college, but I was her husband. I had some making up to do. I couldn’t do that if Rose ignored me the entire time.

But, that’s what happened. The only time we were alone was at night. Rose went to bed early and was sleeping by the time I’d join her. I tried to hold her, but she put a wall of pillows between us. By the last day, I had had it! Everyone was getting ready to go back to Epcot, but I was going to talk to my wife. No one was going to stop me. Not even Rose.

“Emmett, have you seen my sunblock?” Rose asked, searching her makeup bag.

“It’s cloudy, Rose,” I said, “and we need to talk. You haven’t said more than two words to me since you got here.”

“Yes, I have,” she said. “Yes. I. Have … that was three.”

“Not. Funny,” I growled. I blocked the door, glowering at her. “We need to talk.”

“Emmett, we’ve talked,” she argued.

“You’ve talked. To everyone but me,” I snapped.

“Rose? Are you coming?” Alice called.

“Be there in a minute,” Rose yelled back.

I opened the door. “Actually, Pixie, she’s staying. You go on ahead,” I said, glaring at her. Alice’s eyes went big and she nodded, practically falling out of the villa, on Edward’s heels. I turned back and dared Rose to challenge me. She was pissed, but she didn’t say a word. She sat down on the messy bed, crossing her arms and legs. “You’ve ignored me this entire trip and I wanted to spend time with you, rekindle the romance. You never gave me that chance, Rose.”

She sighed, pumping her leg. “Emmett, I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that I could get over your betrayal. I thought I could. I honestly did,” she whispered. “I love you, Emmett, but I can’t trust you. When I see you, I see what you did to me and how you ruined our marriage.”

“I’ve been good,” I cried, tears welling. “I’ve been sober, and I haven’t even looked at a woman, other than my sister and ewww, I’d never do that with her.”

“Emmett,” Rose chuckled, but sobered quickly. She got up and walked to her bag. Reaching inside, she pulled out a divorce decree. “I will always love you, Em, but I can’t get over the fact that you cheated on me, broke my heart and shattered my spirit. I need to start fresh, new. I’m staying in New York. I’ve got a great job. I’m seeing an attorney.”

“Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?” I snapped.

“We’re legally separated, Emmett,” she snapped back. “And I waited until I got the paperwork before William and I got together.” She pushed the papers into my hands. “Emmett, we haven’t been right for a long time. You live for the attention. I can’t stand it. I want a quiet life. I want a house in the suburbs, with a picket fence, 2.5 kids and a golden retriever. I know you want that, too, but being with Breaking Midnight is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“So is being married to you,” I sniffled, my anger dissipating.

“Is it?” she whispered, taking my hand. The butterflies that I expected to feel were gone. We were no longer a couple. We’d moved on. “I love you, Emmett. In time, I might even forgive you and be your friend, but for now, we need to live our own lives.” She took the papers, showing me the decree. “I don’t want anything. I just want a clean break. You can keep the house and everything inside. I don’t want alimony. We’re both successful in our own right and I don’t need you supporting me. This was against the suggestion of my lawyer, but it’s how I feel.”

“No chance?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, Em,” she murmured, kissing my cheek. “I had to see you to be _certain_ that I was making the right decision. And I am.” She got up, packing her belongings. I looked at the paperwork, saddened that almost six years of marriage was dissolved in a packet of twenty papers. With a sigh, I signed the last page, dropping it into her suitcase. She cried, hugging me tightly. “I really wanted us to work out.”

“Me, too, but I fucked up,” I replied.

“You’re a good guy. Funny, smart, talented and handsome,” she whispered. “You’ll find someone. She’ll make you happy.” She wiped her cheeks, packing up her stuff and dialing an Uber. “Tell everyone that I love them. I’ll call Bella at some point, but …”

“I know,” I nodded, stuffing my hands into my pockets. “Rose, I’ll never stop loving you. You were the first woman to own my heart. I’m sorry that I didn’t take care of yours the same way.” She smiled sadly. With another awkward hug, she left and I sat down in the living room. I really wanted a drink, but I wanted to be a better man.

For Rose.

For my family.

For me.

I had to prove them all wrong and I was stubborn enough to do it, damn it. It’s the Swan way.

**A/N: So, I added an Emmett POV. I wasn’t going to do that, but with what I had planned, it made the most sense. I’m sorry about the end of Emmett and Rose’s relationship, but with the loss of trust, a relationship cannot continue. You know? It was one of the main downfalls in my marriage. I never trusted my husband. He never cheated, but he would say he’d do something, but do something completely different.**

**But, whatevs.**

**Pictures of Jacksonville and Orlando will be on my blog. You can find a link for that on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I’m also on twitter: tufano79. Up next will be their time in Miami and Tampa, with some information about the stalker. Who is it? Will we get a clue?**

**Leave me some loving! I need some … this story is not feeling the same level of adoration as some of the other stories I’ve written. Musicward is awesome! He needs some kisses, mooches and hugs. Thanks for reading! XD**


	17. Invasion of Privacy

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**I received a GR saying that my stories, recently, have been a bit on the darker side. In retrospect, they probably have been. But, I’ve been living in a dark time, myself. I lost my mother almost two years ago to lung cancer. I’m still struggling, day-to-day, with getting up, living and being happy because I miss my mom more than words can express. Obviously, the loss of my mom is still impacting me. Thus, the stories are darker, probably matching the emotions I’m still dealing with regarding my mom’s death. Life is not always rainbows and puppy dogs.**

**_Just saying …_ **

**Up next will be their time in Miami and Tampa, with some information about the stalker. Who is it? Will we get a clue?**

**Chapter Seventeen: Invasion of Privacy**

**EPOV**

“I’m worried about Emmett,” Jasper whispered as we sat on the tour bus, driving to Miami. Emmett was sitting off on his own, spinning his wedding band and staring out of the windows, watching the scenery race by. “He’s been quiet since Rose dropped that bombshell that she wanted a divorce.”

“It wasn’t a bombshell, Jasper,” I said. “I think I always knew it was coming.”

“We all did,” Bella muttered. “I’m pissed at Rose for stringing my brother along, but I don’t blame her for ending their marriage.” She reached over and took my hand. “He’ll be fine. He’s just processing.”

“Are you certain?” Jasper asked. “I’ve never seen Emmett sit so _still._ He’s normally fidgeting, squirming or tapping on something. He’s just staring and spinning his wedding ring.”

“Just give him time,” Bella said, snuggling closer to me. “If he’s still so quiet once we get to Miami, I’ll talk to him. Okay?”

Jasper nodded and sighed heavily. “I feel for him. I really do.”

“We all do,” I said. “But, we need to give him time.”

“My concern is that this is going to hit the tabloids and they’ll be relentless toward him,” Kellan said. “Yes, he made mistakes, but he’s atoned for his sins. Nia’s been watching websites and most of the news around us has been surrounding your wonderful mother. Sorry, Bells. She’s a whack job.”

“Oh, I know,” she deadpanned. “But, my dad is pissed and he’s flying to Jacksonville to give Renee a piece of his mind. It won’t be pretty. He’s talking about pressing charges and … yeah … not pretty.”

“Good. I love the chief,” Kellan snorted. “I want him as my dad.”

“Don’t let Dad hear that, Kell,” Nia chuckled. Kellan threw a chip at his sister and she deftly dodged it. With a giggle, she turned a movie on and sat next to Jasper, snuggling next to him. I enfolded Bella in my arms. We arrived in Miami a short time later. Bella got out and threaded her arm with Emmett, pulling him away from the group as we checked into the hotel. I watched as she doted on him. She made him smile, hugging him tightly and undoubtedly reminding him that we all loved him.

She walked back over to me, weaving our fingers together. “How is he?”

“He’s surprisingly okay,” she said. “He said he wants to be alone, but he promised me that he won’t drink or do anything stupid. He’s just going to stay in his room.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” I asked.

“I do. Edward, despite Rose’s assurances that she’d give him a fair shake, he knew this was coming,” Bella sighed. “Though, I’m still _pissed_ at her for saying that she would give him a chance. She lied.”

“You said that already, but I don’t think so, _cantante_ ,” I murmured. “Sometimes you just need to see someone in order to make that decision to end it. It’s a reminder that you can’t move past the issues, despite your best efforts to do so.”

“Still, she strung him along,” Bella grumped, allowing me to guide her into the lobby and into our private elevator to the penthouse suite. Inside, she stomped to the bed and collapsed onto the fluffy white bed and growled. “What a cluster!”

“I know, beautiful,” I said, laying down next to her and gathering her in my arms. “Come on. Let’s go down to the pool. Nia arranged for some cabanas and some quiet time in one of the smaller pools. Put on that sexy bikini and tempt me.”

“Are you horny?” she giggled, looking over to me, giving me a sexy grin.

“Um, duh,” I snorted. “Is there any doubt?”

“Good point,” she snickered. She sat on my lap, kissing me deeply before sauntering to her suitcase and pulling out a tiny black bikini with a red cover-up. She winked at me before darting into the bathroom to change. I grabbed my own board shorts, which were black with white flowers along the hem. I added a white tank top and slathered on some sunscreen, protecting my pale skin. Bella came out, her hair clipped up and her eyes hidden by large sunglasses. She packed a tote with books, our iPods, sunscreen and water from the hotel room. She tossed on her red cover-up and gave me a sexy grin. “Shall we, handsome?”

I nodded, offering my hand to her. We rode down to the lobby and were escorted to a secluded pool with several cabanas and private bar. Alice and Kellan were already settled on a pair of chaise lounges. Nia was sitting at the edge of the pool with Jasper treading water beneath her. Ryan was standing off to the side, as was Max and Greg. They were not dressed in their usual Pandora garb, but shorts and t-shirts. Though, I could tell that they were carrying weapons under their summery attire. Ainsley was doing a perimeter check, ensuring that no one would bother us. There were a couple of hotel staff manning the bar, but it was mainly deserted around the pool. “This is a sweet set up. Thanks, Nia.”

“We’re in the Sunshine State,” she chirped. “We need some sun. We’re all looking pretty damned pasty. This is the first time that I’m as white as my geeky brother.”

“Don’t be hating,” Kellan said, tossing a towel at Nia. “I may be pasty, but this is hella sexy.”

“It is, baby,” Alice said, patting his belly. “You’ve got an eight-pack.”

“Better than a keg,” Kellan quipped. He lay back, his eyes covered by his wayfarers.

Bella dropped our bags in one of the cabanas and removed her cover-up. I helped her put on some sunscreen, slathering it heavily over her tattoos, which burned quicker than the rest of her body. She swiped a towel and spread it onto a chaise, laying down and sighing contentedly. I ordered a beer, plopping down on my belly and just letting the hot sun beat down on my back. Though, it wasn’t long before I jumped into the water. The combination of the hot sun, humid air and stifling temperatures, I couldn’t stand it. Bella lasted a little longer than me and we played in the pool, acting silly.

After an hour, some food was delivered inside the cabana and we all made some plates for ourselves. Bella and I stayed in a cooled cabana, closing the flaps to give us some privacy. We read a little bit before going back into the water, where we stayed until the sun began to hang low in the late afternoon haze. Kellan and Alice left first, going out on a date. Jasper and Nia left shortly after that. They wanted to spend some time _alone_ together. Bella sent a text to Emmett, checking on him and he responded that he was fine. He talked to Charlie and it put his mind at ease. Bella and I went back into the cabana, laying down on the in the cooled tent.

“This is exactly what the doctor ordered. I enjoyed our time in Orlando, despite the drama with Emmett and Rose, but just chilling by the pool is …” Bella trailed off. “Yeah, I miss our pool.”

“I miss the privacy of our pool,” I grumped. “Naked fun times in our pool.”

“It’s private,” she said, looking over at me and sitting up, untying her bikini top. She tossed it onto the pillows next to me.

“Bella,” I hissed, pulling her to my side and pressing her bare chest to mine. “I know that we’re in a private pool, in a private cabana, but it’s still …”

“Edward, my mother has made us out to be sexual deviants,” she giggled. “Why not have some fun with exhibitionism? Live up to all the hype. It’s never stopped you before. Do you remember the blowjob I gave you in the Happiest Place on Earth?”

“I still can’t believe you did that in the Magic Kingdom,” I deadpanned. “I enjoyed it thoroughly, but still unbelievable.”

“At least we didn’t get high,” she said. “I think Jasper and Nia enjoyed some pot. They were both a little giggly and stoned during the parade, cooing at something that they imagined in the pot-addled brains.” Her fingers were gliding over my stomach, toying with the strings that were holding up my board shorts. Licking her lips, she kissed me, her hand sliding down into my shorts and wrapping around my manhood.

“Fuck,” I said against her mouth.

“Yes. Now, you’re with me,” she said, nipping at my lips. She untied my shorts and inched them down. Once my growing cock was sprung free, she pulled her bikini bottoms to the side and straddled my hips. She rolled her body, her arousal coating me. With a devious smirk, she lined herself up and slid down my length. I groaned, gripping her hips and sitting up, taking one of her bare breasts into my mouth. I sucked on her piercing making her whimper as she rode me slowly and sensually. She was so wet, covering me with her essence. The mere idea of making love where anyone could hear us, see us, was a tremendous turn on for her.

And to be honest, for me, too.

“You feel so good inside me,” she breathed, tugging on my slightly damp strands. Her lips crashed against mine. My arms banded around her tiny waist, moving with her and feeling her arousal increase around me. We didn’t last long, coming with a flurry of grunts and sweat-slicked bodies. I filled her with my release, resting my forehead against her shoulder as she massaged my back. “That was hot.”

“Yeah,” I said, my brain too befuddled to expound on that.

“Seriously, Edward. It’s hot,” she laughed, moving off my lap and adjusting her bottoms and putting her bikini top back on. It was cooler in the cabana with some sort of fan system, but our making love had made it stuffy. We snuck out, jumping into the pool and floating around for a few moments before heading back up to our suite. We took a shared shower, with wandering fingers and fervent kisses before settling into the bed. We spent the evening watching some television.

The next morning, Bella was up early to get her hair cut and colored. I was going down to the fitness center to work out. I’d been slacking and I missed it. Greg and Emmett were down there, pumping iron. I waved at them, hopping onto the treadmill and setting it. Stuffing in my ear buds, I began my warm up and ran for well over an hour. After doing that, I did some strength training with Ryan’s help, who had come down during my run. We finished and went back up to our respective rooms. I showered and finished working on the musical score for _High Life,_ sending it off to Larry and Jerome.

Bella breezed in a little later. Her hair was trimmed, layered and highlighted. She looked sexy and I groaned, wanting to have my fun with her. But unfortunately, our time was cut short and we had to go to the American Airlines Arena. We had to do a sound check and finalize our wardrobe choices. Or rather, Alice had to finalize the wardrobe choices. Apparently, the clothes that the guys have been wearing have been lackluster. Bella, as always, was sexy and a complete show stopper. Us? Not so much.

In Alice’s opinion.

Racks upon racks of men’s clothes were in the dressing room. Alice tossed the clothes to us, demanding we try things on. Out of the three racks of clothes, ten things were deemed appropriate for us to wear on stage. I was going to be in a pair of black jeans with a black graphic t-shirt and black boots. Alice said it played up my pale features and mop of bronze-colored hair. Bella enjoyed looking at my body, running her hands along my torso. The shirt was tight, almost painted on my body.

“Guys, The Cliffhangers are finishing up their set,” Kellan said. “Alice, there’s very little difference in the outfits the guys are wearing now.”

“Things are more tailored,” she chirped. “Edward’s shirts were too loose and the vest thing for Jasper? Not working.”

“I’ve been telling you that for how long?” Nia snorted. “Jasper, I love you, but the vest/fedora thing is so 2011.”

“I feel naked,” he grumbled, plucking at his t-shirt. “I miss my security blanket of my vest and fedora.”

“Jazzy, build a bridge and get over it,” Alice laughed, walking to Kellan and sliding her arms around his waist. “You look great and more girls will be creaming their jeans because of this new look.” Jasper scowled, his nose wrinkled. “And Emmett, I wanted you the freedom to move around.”

“So, I’m shirtless?” he snorted. “Or are you trying to get me a new girlfriend by showing off my sexy pecs.” He bounced his chest, smirking.

“You never know, Em,” Alice said. “But, you now look like the part of a world-class band.”

“Five minutes,” Lou barked.

“Come on, guys. Let’s pray. We need it,” Jasper said, still moving uncomfortably. “I need it. You changed my clothes. I need the comfort of this ritual.”

“Good idea,” I said, taking Bella and Emmett’s hands. Kellan joined us, along with Nia and even Lou. Jasper’s words were quiet and reverent, asking for strength for Emmett with his impending divorce and the end of his marriage. He asked for patience and forgiveness for the bullshit that Renee pulled while we were in Jacksonville. Finally, he prayed for us as a band, letting our love of music shine through and that we’d always love and respect each other. I squeezed Emmett’s hand. He gave me a sad smile, but I could see the old Emmett shining beneath the sadness. With a group hug, we went up to the stage and watched as The Cliffhangers finished their set.

We waited about five minutes, until we heard the crowd chant our names. _Break-ing Mid-night! Break-ing Mid-night! Break-ing Mid-night! Break-ing Mid-night!_ With a brief, but searing kiss to my wife, we clambered onto the stage as our introductory music began. The crowd went absolutely bananas. We fed off their energy. Bella and I made vocal love on stage, flirting and sharing a microphone. She danced with me, moving her body seductively. I was never more grateful for my guitar in front of my crotch. For most of the performance, I was as hard as a rock.

We finished our show and I dragged my wife into the green room. I flipped my wrist. “You are a tease, Isabella Marie Cullen,” I growled. I took her hand, pressing it to my cock. “Do you feel that? All night, baby.”

“Good. He got the message,” she said, shimmying out of her panties and taking my hand, guiding it to her pussy. I groaned, feeling how wet she was. “Fuck me, Edward.” She blinked to the mirrors and I grinned evilly. Hiking her skirt, I sat down, pulling her with me. She was leaning against my body, her back pressed to my chest, with her legs spread wide. I looked at us in the mirrors as my fingers ran through her soaked folds. Taking my hardness, she kissed me as I slid deep within her. “Oh, yes! Like that, Edward.”

With a snarl, I turned her head so I could kiss her as I slammed into her. She moaned and lost herself to the feeling of being thoroughly fucked. Her juices coated my cock, making me even harder. “More,” she pleaded against my mouth, staring into my eyes. I gulped and slid out of her pussy. Taking my hardness, I teased her rosette. She relaxed, allowing me entrance. The lubrication from her pussy making it easy for me to slide in. “Fuck! I’m coming,” she gasped, her hand rubbing her pussy. I growled lowly, moving within her and claiming her. Within moments, I filled her with my own release and held her closely to my sweaty body. “Shit, that was …”

“Yeah,” I breathed, kissing her neck. “This show was one huge tease.”

“That was the plan, baby,” she giggled, sliding off me and moving her skirt back down. She went into the bathroom and I heard her clean herself up. When she was done, she walked out with a washcloth, wiping me down. “You look completely spent, Edward.”

“My wife is a siren,” I chuckled. She finished taking care of me, sitting next to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. “I love you, _cantante._ You are …”

“So are you,” she whispered, nuzzling my cheek. “I’m sorry that I teased you, Edward.”

“No, you’re not,” I snorted. “But, I loved every minute of it and getting to be with you, any time, is special.”

There was a loud banging on the door. “Porn stars,” boomed Kellan. “Meet and greet? Did you forget that?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming,” I yelled to him.

“In more ways than two,” Bella sang, burrowing into my body. I barked out a laugh, kissing her deeply and beginning to lose myself in her again.

“GUYS!” Kellan whined. “Come on! An hour and then you can fuck each other into oblivion back at the hotel. Please?”

“Fine, fine,” Bella grumbled, standing up and reaching for my hand. We left the green room and went to a conference room. We spent time with our fans, taking pictures and talking with them. Our hearts went out to a teenaged fan who was terminally ill, coming to this concert with the help of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He had stars in his eyes as he looked at my wife. She was kind, posing for photos and giving him tons of swag, including the drum sticks that Emmett used tonight. It made my heart grow for her, seeing her generosity and kindness. She was truly special and I was so blessed to call her mine.

However, Kellan was true to his word and we left after an hour. We rode back to the hotel and inside of our room, Bella and I fucked each other into oblivion, like Kellan had predicted. We went to sleep with sated, happy smiles on our faces.

The next morning, we woke up late and got onto the buses. Bella was still tired, but she was relaxed and snuggly with me. I held her close as we relaxed in the back bedroom. We didn’t make love, though my cock was ready to go. Bella was sore from our hours of naked fun time after the concert. I gladly snuggled, snoozing with my wife as we drove across the state of Florida. It was drizzly and humid, perfect for a late-afternoon siesta.

Bella was still asleep when Nia poked her head into our room. “Edward, I’m sorry about interrupting, but Alice asked me to remind you about the Twilight party at some club at Ybor City.” She pulled out her phone, wrinkling her nose. “It’s at the Crowbar. The Cliffhangers are playing and we need to support them.”

“We’re not performing?” I asked.

“Nope. You’re just going, acting as musical ambassadors for the Twilight brand. Breaking Midnight is the number one seller for Twilight Recordings. It’s official,” she chirped. She handed me her phone and there was an article about our newest album, our Grammy wins and extremely successful tour. I beamed, handing her phone back to her. “Alice will have your clothes for the party in the hotel room.”

“Doesn’t she realize that we’re capable of dressing ourselves?” Bella asked groggily. Nia shrugged, leaving the bedroom and closing the door. “Just to piss her off, I’m dressing us, Edward.”

“I love the way you think, Mrs. Cullen,” I snickered, tugging her to my body. She sighed, burrowing closer to me and quiet snores filled the room. I ran my fingers through her hair until we pulled into the boutique hotel we were staying at while we were in Tampa. Bella was still a little sluggish, but determined to undermine Alice’s fashion ideas for this party.

In the room, Bella went directly to the bathroom and I heard the shower start. I swiped some boxer briefs and a pair of panties for her. She was brushing her teeth and waiting for the water to warm up. “You okay, Bella?”

“I just feel _blah_ ,” she said. “Sorry about using you as a human pillow.”

“I don’t mind you snuggling against me, baby,” I said, kissing her neck. She leaned her head to give me better access. She took off her glasses and removed her traveling clothes, leggings and a loose t-shirt. Twisting her hair up, she dragged me, after I’d removed my clothes, into the shower. We made out as we washed our bodies and as Bella woke up. After our shower and an amazing blowjob from my sexy wife, we got out of the shower. We both put in our contact lenses and Bella kicked me out of the bathroom so she could do her hair and makeup. I put on a pair of shorts, watching some television until she walked out. She had on a silky bathrobe, leaving little to the imagination.

“Did Alice come over?” she asked.

“Nope. From what Nia told me, the clothes would be in the closet,” I said, sitting up. Bella nodded, walking over to the closet and pulling out a blue dress. My outfit was all black and I wrinkled my nose. “We’re not going to a funeral.”

“Exactly,” she said. “I like the color of my dress, but I’m dressing us.” She called Nia, asking for a few things from our costume trunk. She came by a few moments later, holding a garment bag. “Thanks, Nia. I love my sister-in-law, but she’s driving me nuts with the fashion police nonsense.”

“I think we’re all feeling her wrath,” Nia deadpanned. “Jasper is having heart palpitations about not wearing his vests and fedoras. Kellan is loving it since he struggles with fashion sense in general. If it weren’t for me or our mother, he’d still be wearing the coke-bottle glasses and high-waters.”

“Don’t tease your brother,” Bella snorted. “Have you talked to her, Edward? She’s being very controlling lately.”

“I’ll talk to her after you dress me, baby,” I said. “Thanks for bringing this stuff up, Nia.”

“No problemo,” she sang. “We’re leaving at nine.”

Nia left and Bella pulled clothes out of the garment bag. She decided on a pair of dark-wash jeans, along with a red V-neck t-shirt and a black jacket. I paired it with my black Doc Martens. She decided to coordinate with me, putting on a blood-red halter dress that showed off all her best assets. Once we were dressed, she went to check on Emmett and I headed to talk to my sister. Knocking on the door to her suite, Kellan opened it widely. “Hey, Edward,” he said. “You okay?”

“Is Alice in here?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said, letting me inside. “Everything okay?”

“Just brotherly concern,” I said.

He pursed his lips, nodding. “I’ll give you guys some time. I’m going to check the venue and make sure that everything arrived safely. Be ready to go by nine.”

“Nia already told me,” I smiled. Kellan smacked my shoulder and he left. I padded into the living space. Alice was on her computer, her fingers clacking on the keyboard. “Hey, Pix.”

“Edward,” she said, blinking up at me and wrinkling her nose. “That’s not what I picked.”

“No, it’s what my wife picked. I like this better,” I said, sitting down next to her and closing her computer. “Something seems off, Ali. What’s up?”

“My meds are not working properly,” she sighed. “I’m leaving early tomorrow morning to meet with my psychiatrist. I knew something was wonky when I went on the fashion tirade in Miami. Kellan was understanding and supportive, pointing out the perseveration and controlling nature.”

“He’s good for you, Alice,” I whispered.

“He is. He loves me and I love him,” she smiled. “But, I’m so afraid that I’m going to sabotage it with my crazy.”

“I don’t think you’re going to sabotage it. You recognized that you needed help,” I said, hugging my sister.

“But, I didn’t notice it until Kellan pointed it out,” she frowned. “I take my medications, following the regime religiously, but something is not right.”

“You’ll call me and let me know what the doctor says, right?” I asked.

“Of course, Green-Eyed Freak,” she chuckled, shoving me with her shoulder. “I may just need my medications adjusted. We’ll see.”

“Are you going to the party tonight?”

“Probably not. I’m tired and I may just crash. Kellan offered to stay, but he needs to go to this shindig because he’s an employee of Twilight,” she said. “He’s worried, though. That’s how I know he loves me. Jasper blamed me for being sick. Kellan … he’s …”

“Jasper didn’t blame you for being sick. He blamed you for deceiving him,” I sighed.

“And that deception was all due to my mental illness,” she shrugged. “It’s something I need to talk to my shrink about. I’m happy that Jasper is with Nia. They’re cute together. I have no ill-will toward Jas, but I’m terrified of ruining what I have with Kellan and having him blame me for being sick.”

“He won’t, Ali,” I said.

“You never know,” she shrugged.

“Mary Alice Brandon Cullen, be positive,” I growled. “Think positively.”

“Sorry,” she said, snuggling close to me and frowning deeply. “Like I said, the meds are not working right. I’m all over the place.”

I stayed with her until Kellan came back, watching television. I left when he came back. He gave me a tender smile, hugging her and doting on her sweetly. I met up with Bella, Jasper and Emmett down at the bar. Bella and Jasper were drinking some beer and Emmett was sipping a coke. “Where’s Nia?” I asked.

“She’s talking to her mom. She’ll be down in a little bit,” Jasper answered. “Is everything okay with Alice?”

“I told them that you were meeting with her,” Bella said. “They were concerned.”

“We still are concerned,” Emmett frowned.

“Not divulging too much, Alice is going back to California to meet with her doctor,” I said. “Hopefully, when she comes back, she’ll be better.”

“Good,” Jasper sighed. “I’m worried. I’m seeing a lot of the old Alice from what before we broke up in college. I don’t want her to feel that pain again.”

“She said you blamed her for being sick,” I sighed, scrubbing my face and shooting my friend a glare. “Did you?”

“What? No!” Jasper growled. “I blamed myself for not noticing her being sick and I’m not lying that I blamed her for what happened between the two of us, but it wasn’t because she was sick. It was because she betrayed my trust, Edward. You know that. We both know that.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I don’t want her to go down that road again. You know?”

“We all don’t,” Bella said, taking my hand and twining our fingers together. “We’ll be there for Alice and support her.”

“Guys, we’ve got to go,” Nia chirped. Kellan was following her. “Cute dress, Bells. I’m glad you went with the red.”

“It’s not cute. Her dress is sexy,” I growled, snaking my arms around her tiny waist. I pressed a kiss behind her ear, cupping her ass. “No panties?”

“A thong,” she giggled. “And we’re still on a sexbargo. My pussy is still sore from the pounding she got last night. You and your damned super cock.” I chuckled, smacking her ass and we headed out of the lobby, into a pair of waiting black SUVs. We drove to the Crowbar, going in the back entrance. The party was kicking, with lights, pulsing bass and flowing alcohol. Bella gave Emmett a hard glare and he said that he was going to drink soda or water all night long.

The Cliffhangers put on an amazing show. I spent the night dancing with my girl. Though, we had to do some press, take photos and promote Twilight Records. We also interviewed with some local newspapers. Much to my surprise, Phil was there, using his press pass to get in. We spent the rest of the time with him, laughing and talking about his recent trip to Seattle. Kellan left a little after midnight, worried about Alice. She hadn’t responded to numerous texts he’d sent.

We left the club shortly after that. Bella was still tired and Emmett was getting antsy, watching all the sexual debauchery and people getting drunk. We got back to the hotel and I sent a text to Kellan, checking on him and Alice. As it turned out, Alice just crashed and was sleeping, not hearing the text notification. I let out a breath that I didn’t realize that I was holding, grateful that my sister didn’t do anything stupid.

“She’s going to be okay, Edward,” Bella whispered, brushing my hair back from my forehead.

“How did you know?” I asked.

“I saw this,” she said, smoothing the furrow between my brows. “Have some faith in Alice, Edward. She’s going home to get help.” She kissed my nose. “Now, I want have some naked cuddly time with my sexy husband.”

“Not naked _fun_ time?” I quipped.

“Super cock,” she sang. I laughed. We stripped out of our clothing and snuggled under the covers. I ran my fingers along her spine. She melted against me, sighing contentedly and falling asleep quickly. I followed suit, relaxed and happy, almost forgetting the drama of our lives.

xx LMDC xx

The next day, Alice left for Los Angeles. Kellan drove her to the airport. He held his phone, almost stalking it until she sent word that she’d arrived safely. She texted both me and Kellan around two, saying that she arrived in California and that she was driving directly to her doctor’s office. She’d tell us more after her appointment, which would be done after we finished performing.

The show was amazing. Phil, who watched from backstage, was brimming with pride and excitement for our success. He did leave shortly after the end of the show. He had to leave early the following morning to get back to Jacksonville. He had to file his stories and get his next assignments. Hugs and kisses were passed around before we drove back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, Ryan asked to meet us after we cleaned up from the concert. His face betrayed nothing, but I knew that there was something terribly wrong. What was it? Renee? Alice? The stalker? Bella was jittery and anxious as we took a shared shower. “It’ll be okay, baby. I promise you that we will do everything, together,” I vowed quietly. “I’ll always be by your side.”

“I know,” she sighed, pressing her ear to my chest and wrapping her arms around my waist. “I love you, baby. I will always love you.”

“I adore you,” I whispered. We dressed casually and went to Kellan’s suite. “I’m beginning to hate these late-night meetings. You know?”

“I would love to enjoy the rest of the tour minus the drama,” she sighed. I nodded in agreement as we knocked on the door. Kellan let us inside and his face was pinched. “What is it?”

“Ryan?” Kellan barked. “Your news.”

“Okay, good news and bad news,” he said. “What do you want first?”

“Good news,” Emmett nodded.

“Well, the good news, is that we got some forensic evidence from the threat in Atlanta,” Ryan said. “There was a partial print and some DNA on the envelope indicating that there was threat in the venue. Agent Torres said they were running the print and testing the DNA. We could have a hint as to who is doing this to you.”

“That’s great news,” Bella whispered. “But, there’s more. What’s the bad news?”

Ryan gulped and reached for an envelope. He blew out a breath. He handed us a stack of photos to me and I saw red. Pictures of me and Bella in the cabana, making love. And then, there were more pictures from the green room in the Miami, also with us in compromising positions. “We were being photographed?”

“Yes,” Ryan hissed. “We checked every inch of that private pool and in the backstage area of the venue. There were no bugs, but apparently, we missed something.”

“We. Were. Being. Photographed!” I screamed, flinging the photos across the room. With a roar, I punched my hand through the wall and felt pain explode up my arm. “This is fucking bullshit. We’re paying out of our ass for protection, but our privacy is still being invaded. A private moment between a husband and wife? This should have never … I can’t believe it!” I grabbed my key and stormed out of the room. I needed air. I walked across the street to the beach. My hand was killing me, but it was the least of my worries. Someone had invaded the _private time_ I shared with my wife.

“Edward!” I heard in the distance. I kept walking, needing to get away. “God damn it! Stop!” I huffed, turning to see Emmett running toward me. “You have every right to be pissed.”

“Pissed? You think I’m pissed? I’m beyond pissed, Emmett. They … those were pictures of Bella and me, vulnerable and private,” I snarled, angry tears falling down my cheeks. “When I make love to my wife, it’s between the two of us. No one else.”

“I know that. We all know that, but apparently, this monster thinks otherwise,” Emmett said. “You didn’t stay long enough to hear that some of the more _tame_ photos were sold to the tabloids.”

My blood pressure spiked and I let out a loud scream. “MOTHERFUCKER!!!!” I felt Emmett wrap me in a bear hug, tackling me to the ground. “Let me up, Emmett.”

“No. I don’t want you to get arrested for destruction of property,” he said, keeping me in his arms. “Kellan is going to have to some major ass-kissing to deal with the hole you left in the wall.”

I stayed silent, stewing and squirming. “I’m sick, Emmett. Sick,” I choked out.

“I’m sick, too,” he whispered. “I never wanted to see my little sister like that. Both naked and riding your cock, nor sobbing and calling herself a slut.”

“Fuck,” I spat.

“Kellan and Jasper are with her, as is Phil. I called him before I ran out after you. He’ll calm her down. Nia is on the phone with every media outlet she could think of, trying to find out who has those photos,” Emmett explained. Looking down at my hand, which was huge and throbbing, he got up. “Come on. Max is pulling around with a car. We need to get your hand x-rayed. I think I heard the bones crunch.”

He helped me up, guiding me to an idling SUV. We drove to a local hospital. Max had the entire staff sign non-disclosure agreements and he hovered close by as I was worked up. I had broken two of my knuckles in my right hand. However, I could get away with a brace. Max got the bill for my treatment, saying that it would be sent via our business manager. We left the hospital, driving back to the hotel. I was dead on my feet, but I had to see my wife and apologize for being a colossal ass. I left her on her own to deal with the fallout of the drama of these photos.

In Kellan’s suite, my wife was sleeping fitfully, leaning against Phil’s shoulder. “Is she okay?” I asked.

“She’s upset and rightfully so,” Phil said, smiling sadly at her. “I came as soon as Emmett called. I also rang Charlie. He talked to her, vowing that whoever is doing this will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. That did little assuage her feeling of being violated.”

“We both were,” I snarled, clenching my hands and moaning as my right hand protested. I crouched down, brushing her hair away and she startled awake. “Bella, I’m so sorry.”

“You left,” she croaked, her voice raspy and soft. “I understand you being pissed, but I needed you, Edward.” She looked down at my hand, her brow furrowing. “Is it broken?”

“The knuckles, but I’ll be fine,” I said. “Are you okay? Are we okay?”

“I feel so dirty,” she sniffled, curling up into a tiny ball.

“Bella, you’re not,” Phil argued. “What that asshole did was a complete violation of your privacy.”

“But, we did it in public,” she cried, her face collapsing.

“No, not really. The cabana and pool were private, on private property owned by the hotel,” Kellan said. “And all of the backstage locations were off-limits to cameras and photographers. The only cameras allowed are security feeds, but those are turned off in the green room and dressing rooms. That’s in our rider.”

“Those were not security camera photos,” she said. “It was …”

“Bella, our privacy was breached and we will get to the bottom of this,” I vowed, taking her heart-shaped face in my hands. She flew into my arms and broke down, her tears soaking my t-shirt. I looked up at Kellan and Phil. Their faces were filled with concern and anger for what had happened.

“I got it!” Nia said, bursting through the door. “The photos were sold to the _National Enquirer_ and _Star._ Our attorneys have already contacted them and they will not be published. If they are, since they were obtained illegally, they could be shut down and the editors thrown in jail.”

“Illegally?” Bella asked.

“They explained it. I don’t understand it, but we’re covered,” Nia said, smiling softly at Bella. Then, her face hardened and she smacked my head. “Asshole, leaving her like that.”

“I was just as violated, Nia,” I snapped.

“Still, you should have been there for your wife,” she sneered.

“Nia, stop it. I get why Edward left,” Kellan said soothingly. “And the anger and the destruction.” He shot me a wry look. “From now on, we’re going to be checking, rechecking and triple-checking every venue for cameras, bugs and whatever else could be out there. No more situations like this.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m never having sex again,” Bella said, moving out of my arms and sitting back down on the couch, curling closer to Phil.

I didn’t blame her for her reaction. I was hesitant to make love anywhere but in our own home, where I knew we could be ourselves and get lost in our bodies. Now? Because of those photos, whoever took them had desecrated something special between me and my wife, making it into something tawdry, dirty.

“Em, can I stay with you?” Bella asked, her voice weary and raspy still. “I … I can’t, Edward. Not now.”

“Come on, Isabelly,” Emmett whispered, holding out his hand.

She got up and left the room with her brother. I sat down on one of the overstuffed chairs, thrusting my left hand into my hair. “This is a cluster fuck, Kellan.”

“You’re telling me,” he deadpanned.

“She hates me,” I choked out.

“She doesn’t hate you, Edward,” Phil said. “She hates what happened to the both of you. She tried to explain it and I think I understand. You were her first and only person she’d made love with and this stalker took what was something special between you two and ruined it. Nia said it was almost akin to being raped, but not physically. Your choice was taken away. She blames herself because it was her decision to make love to you in the cabana and again in the green room.”

“My reaction didn’t help, either,” I frowned.

“Bella just needs time,” Kellan said. “And when she’s ready, and she will be ready, you’ll be there for her.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Stay here, Cullen. I don’t think you should be alone.”

“I’m not sleeping with you, Kellan,” I deadpanned. “I’m not my sister.”

“First, ew,” Kellan chuckled. “Second, I have another bedroom. And third, ew.” He tugged on my elbow, pushing me toward the smaller room. “It’ll all work out, Edward.”

“I hope so,” I shrugged. “Thanks.” He nodded and I went into the bedroom, collapsing on the bed. Despite my exhaustion, I couldn’t sleep. Seeing Bella’s broken eyes and hearing Ryan’s voice on replay as he described what had happened with the photos kept me up. Plus, not having Bella next to me, cuddled to my side, was a cruel reminder of what had happened.

This monster was now fucking with our marriage. That shit was not right.

It had to end before it ended us.

**A/N: Not sure what to say … a lot happened. Up next will be the continuation of this chapter, going back in time a bit, shortly after Edward left the hotel room, in Bella’s POV. We’ll also travel to Mobile, where we find out some information about who’s behind this and then to New Orleans.**

**Leave me some loving. Pictures of Miami and Tampa will be on my blog. You can find that link on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and twitter, too: tufano79. Thanks for reading and please leave Edward and Bella some loving. They need some positive reinforcement.**

 

 


	18. Broken Midnight

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be the continuation of this chapter, going back in time a bit, shortly after Edward left the hotel room, in Bella’s POV. We’ll also travel to Mobile, where we find out some information about who’s behind this and then to New Orleans.**

**Chapter Eighteen: Broken Midnight**

**EPOV**

Kellan let us inside and his face was pinched. “What is it?”

“Ryan?” Kellan barked. “Your news.”

“Okay, good news and bad news,” he said. “What do you want first?”

“Good news,” Emmett nodded.

“Well, the good news, is that we got some forensic evidence from the threat in Atlanta,” Ryan said. “There was a partial print and some DNA on the envelope indicating that there was threat in the venue. Agent Torres said they were running the print and testing the DNA. We could have a hint as to who is doing this to you.”

“That’s great news,” Bella whispered. “But, there’s more. What’s the bad news?”

Ryan gulped and reached for an envelope. He blew out a breath. He handed us a stack of photos to me and I saw red. Pictures of me and Bella in the cabana, making love. And then, there were more pictures from the green room in the Miami, also with us in compromising positions. “We were being photographed?”

“Yes,” Ryan hissed. “We checked every inch of that private pool and in the backstage area of the venue. There were no bugs, but apparently, we missed something.”

“We. Were. Being. Photographed!” I screamed, flinging the photos across the room. With a roar, I punched my hand through the wall and felt pain explode up my arm. “This is fucking bullshit. We’re paying out of our ass for protection, but our privacy is still being invaded. A private moment between a husband and wife? This should have never … I can’t believe it!” I grabbed my key and stormed out of the room. I needed air. I walked across the street to the beach. My hand was killing me, but it was the least of my worries. Someone had invaded the _private time_ I shared with my wife.

**BPOV**

“Bells, you need to breathe,” Kellan said as the door slammed in his suite. “Look at me, sweetie and breathe.”

“He left,” I choked out. “I’m alone.”

“No, Bella, he’s upset. He’ll be back,” Kellan said soothingly, cupping my face. “And you’ll never be alone. You need to breathe, sweets. In through your noise and out through your mouth.”

“Bella, Emmett called Phil. He’s coming to the hotel,” Nia said, her phone attached to her ear.

“I don’t want him to see me like this. I’m such a fucking slut. Everyone is going to see that I’m a whore,” I hissed. Kellan took my hands, tugging me close his body. “WHAT?!”

“Stop it,” he said, his eyes swirling with anger. “You’re not a slut or a whore or any other horrific name you can come up with, Isabella Marie Cullen. You are the epitome of goodness, class, elegance and style.” I opened my mouth and Kellan growled. “Don’t contradict me. I love you and the band like family. I won’t have my adoptive sister call herself those names. Do you hear me?”

“But, the world will think something else if these pictures make it out,” I sobbed.

“They won’t,” Nia snarled. “Our attorneys are working on it. Trust me.”

“You, I trust, but how were these photos taken? I thought that we were supposed to be protected,” I said, glaring at Ryan. “Didn’t you think to check for cameras?”

“We did and there weren’t any,” Ryan said, his face flushed. “It would appear that the photos from the Miami were taken with a telephoto lens. The photos from green room, I think that whomever took them got them from gaining access from the security cameras. Even if the cameras were not turned on, a hacker could remotely access them. As a result, we’re going to have one of our tech guys, Brody, come down and travel with us to monitor the security office during the performances.”

“This has got to stop,” I snapped, standing up and stomping to the window and moving out to the patio. I sat down, curling up on one of the chairs outside. The air was heavy, humid and filled with the scent of salt from the bay. I looked out, not really seeing anything. My vision blurred with tears. My stomach was churning uncomfortably and I felt so hollow. The door opened and my stepfather walked out. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, his glasses perched on his nose. “I thought you had to head back to Jacksonville.”

“I was driving back tomorrow,” he said, sitting down. “Emmett called and told me what happened.”

“That I’m this huge slut,” I snorted derisively.

“Bella, you’re not,” Phil frowned. “Your privacy was breached. You feel raw and exposed.” I shot him a look. “But, you’re not a slut. What you do with your husband is your own business. The fact that your privacy was invaded doesn’t negate the love you have for Edward. I see it. I feel it. He’d walk through fire for you.”

“And yet? He’s not here,” I said, my voice bland.

“His privacy was also invaded,” Phil said. “Bella, I get it.” Again, I shot him a look. “I may not be famous like you, but I know what it’s like to have my private business aired out very publicly. When your mom and I got divorced, our relationship was dragged through the mud and she said awful things to me, about me. Your mother made me out to be this monster, but I wasn’t.”

“You’re not,” I whispered. “You’re one of the rare good guys.”

“Thanks, Bells,” he said. “I know that you’re upset. I’m upset for you, but we’ll get to the bottom of this.” He took out his cell phone. “I called your dad. Charlie was frantic, but he wanted to talk to you.”

“He knows, too?” I choked out. “Fuck me.”

“Emmett gave him a head’s up, but I talked to him as I was in my hotel room, waiting for the Uber,” Phil said. I sighed, taking his phone and dialing my father. Charlie was angry, spitting obscenities, and vowing death upon the culprit, wreaking havoc on our lives. Hearing him that upset gave me some solace, but I wanted my husband, if only to kick his ass for abandoning me. When the winds picked up, Phil guided me back inside and we curled up on the couch. I eventually drifted off, nightmares assaulting my subconscious, as I dreamt of my fans laughing at us and critiquing what Edward and I had done.

A little after three, Edward came back, his right hand in a brace. I laid into him, giving him a piece of my mind. He apologized and the shattered look on his face almost broke me, but I couldn’t be bothered with him. I went back to Emmett’s room after Phil said he was going back to his hotel. I gave him a hug, leaving with my brother. I eventually drifted back off, nightmares making my rest anything but restful.

As much as we wanted to, we had to leave for Mobile, Alabama. Kellan said that we were all riding on one bus and I was pissed at this. I wanted to sulk, but apparently, that was not allowed. Getting onto our bus, we got on the road and Kellan sat in front of us, his lips pursed. We also noticed that none of the security guys were on the bus. “Okay, so, I know that we’re all on edge about the latest situation.”

“On edge?” Edward asked, his brow arched. He held up his braced wrist and growled lowly. “That’s an understatement.”

“I get it,” Kellan sighed, scrubbing his hands through his hair. “However, on that front, the photos will not be published. I received notification from both tabloids saying that they would be destroyed. Jenks is flying to discuss with the _National Enquirer_ and Senior is going to blindside _Star_. If those photos are even remotely made public, your grandchildren will never have to worry about money.”

“What about the threat of photos being published? Any other photos?” I asked. “In our rider, it was explicitly expressed that the backstage cameras be turned off in the green room and dressing rooms.”

“That’s going to be handled with a tech, computer guru. Hell, I was tempted to do it myself. I’m a tech, computer guru,” Kellan deadpanned. “But, I want to be backstage, carrying and staying close by to all of you.” He sighed, leaning back and furrowed his brow. “Which brings me to Pandora. I’ve expressed my concern about their lack of protection and their inability to stop this from happening. Do we want to continue their contract or go with another security team?”

“My concern is that finding people that we trust,” I said. “Right now, I’m not happy with Ryan and the fact that this happened, but there’s a level of trust with the core members of the Pandora team. He did say that this was something that was beyond their control.”

“Max said the same thing,” Emmett said. “He said that the photos were taken with a telephoto lens, but still on the hotel’s property. And the pictures from the green room were from a hacked security camera.”

“What can we do to prevent that?” Edward asked, his voice empty and hollow.

“Ryan said that they’re bringing in some technology genius named Brody,” I said. “Do you know anything about him?”

“Graduated from MIT, with a degree computer, information technology. However, he’s hacked into several well-known, unbreakable programs,” Nia said. “One of which was NASA.”

“He’s not in jail?” Kellan snorted.

“He didn’t look at anything, but proved that he could do it,” Nia shrugged. “He seems legit and capable. Plus, he’s a huge fan.”

“That makes him totally credible,” Edward growled.

“I say we give Pandora another chance. Bella brings up a valid point with the trust factor,” Jasper said. “I think if there’s another security breach, whether it be pictures, another threat or whatnot, we’ll release them from their contract.”

“They have no control of the threats,” I shrugged. “It’s what they do with those threats.”

“This is true. They have been on the ball with each and every threat, but these photos are troublesome,” Kellan sighed. “I would just be so happy once this threat has been neutralized.”

“Have you heard anything about the forensics?” Emmett asked.

“Nope. It would probably be a day or two to analyze the finger prints and who knows how long for the DNA?” Kellan shrugged. “We’ll just have to be patient.”

“This sucks,” Emmett grumbled. “Royally sucks. I’m telling you!”

“I agree. Hopefully we’ll get some clue as to who’s doing this, but for now, be extra diligent with where you go, what you do and how you act,” Kellan sighed. “And, Edward? Bella? I want you both carrying.”

“Oh, goody,” I deadpanned.

“I also want you two to talk to each other,” he said, pointing to the back bedroom. “We’ll leave you be.” He glowered at Jasper and Emmett. “Not hovering at the door, you asses.”

“That would be you, brother, mine,” Nia sang. He gave her a scowl. “It’s true.”

“I just want you two work through this,” Kellan said. “I know that you both had your privacy breached, but your relationship is more important than any band. Comprende?”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, getting up and walking to the back room. Edward followed me and he was anxious, twisting his wedding band. Once in the room, he closed the door and leaned against it heavily. “I’m still pissed at you.”

“And you have every right to be,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t have left, but if I had stayed, things would have gotten much, much worse. I was feeling strangled, out of control. I hated the fact that what was something special between us was portrayed so tactlessly. You are the most important person in my life, Bella.”

“Could have fooled me,” I snapped. “You left.”

“I know!” he yelled back. “But, I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I needed air. I needed to scream. I needed to get away from the bullshit! I hate that our lovemaking was tainted. I love you and I want to be able to show you in the way I want, and that includes making love to you. I shouldn’t have to be afraid that some monster is taping us, taking our pictures.” He sat down and traced my cheek. “And you are not a slut, Bella. That’s impossible, baby.”

“But, my body was on display. Our _intimate_ moments on display,” I sniffled, wiping my cheeks. “Only you have seen my body, Edward. Now? Kellan, my brother, my stepfather, my father … they’ve all seen this. Seen us.”

He gathered me in his arms as I lost it. I buried my nose into his shoulder, hating what the stalker was doing to us. He held me tightly, apologizing over and over again about what had happened. He apologized for leaving. He apologized for the drama. He apologized just to apologize. He took my face with his left hand, staring at me. “If I could take the pain away, Bella, I would. I’m so sorry. Please, know that you are the one person in my life that matters the most to me. I’m going to do everything in my power to shield you from the ugliness of the world. What happened to us? That was beyond ugly.”

“You’re right,” I said, moving off his lap and curling up on the bed. “It’s going to be a long time before I feel safe enough to have sex again. And when we do, it won’t be in anywhere but a bedroom. Preferably _our_ bedroom, with the lights off and the blinds drawn.”

“I don’t blame you, _cantante_ ,” he whispered. “For now? I just want to hold you and try and get some sleep. I stayed in Kellan’s spare room and the sounds that man made with his ass should be illegal.”

“Ewww,” I chuckled.

“Yeah,” he said, laying down and wrapping his arm around my waist. “I’m sorry. I love you, Bella. So much.”

“I love you, too,” I sighed, putting my head over his chest. “I’m sorry for losing my own cool and blaming you. It wasn’t your fault, or my fault, really. It’s the asshole who’s invading our privacy. It’s all his fault.”

“Now, she gets it,” Edward laughed, kissing my forehead.

xx LMDC xx

Arriving in Mobile, we spent our time in the hotel. Jasper and Emmett gave Edward and I our space. We just stayed in our suite, eating room service and watching television. After a quiet night alone, we met with Kellan and Ryan to discuss some of the evidence that was found in Atlanta. “A lead that we can follow,” Ryan said. “Agent Torres contacted me with the results of the finger print analysis and preliminary information from the DNA.”

“Is it someone that we know?” Edward asked, his fingers twining with mine.

“It’s someone we all know,” Ryan said, handing us a picture of one of the roadies. “This guy. He left, abruptly, after our time in Tampa. He said that he a family emergency. However, after running some background information, the name he gave us was a fake one.”

“He looks familiar,” Edward said. “When did he join the crew?”

“During our break in Albany,” Ryan explained. “Anyway, the name that he went by was Jimmy Murphy, but his real name is James Loften.”

“James. From Emerson,” I hissed. “That TA who gave Larry hell and had a staring problem.”

“He fell off the face of the planet for how many years? Only to resurface now?” Edward asked, arching a brow. “That’s one hell of a grudge.”

“We agree,” Kellan said. “But, this guy is on the crazy train.”

“Um, yeah,” I snorted. “What’s going to happen now? He is no longer ‘working’ for us. He’s probably …”

“The feds are going to execute a search warrant at his address listed on his work application. It’s an apartment in Brooklyn,” Ryan said. “He’s also been terminated from the tour, with all of his credentials revoked. Max and Greg are meeting with the crew, explaining that Jimmy or James or whatever his name is no longer allowed to come on the grounds for the various venues. His photo is also going to be distributed to security teams at each location, along with an updated bulletin to the coming cities.”

“My guess is that James will _not_ be at his apartment,” Edward growled. “He wouldn’t be that stupid.”

“Probably not, but we could glean some information about his modis operandi,” Ryan said.

“Do you have any information about the DNA? Was it James who licked the envelope or whatever?” I asked.

“Things are not definitive with the DNA, but it was _not_ James. Whoever was helping him with that threat has a different blood type than James,” Ryan said. “Further tests are being run and hopefully, we’ll be able to get more information soon.”

“Thanks, Ryan,” Kellan said. Ryan nodded, leaving the room and closing the door. “What is the deal with this James guy?”

“When we were in college, we had a teacher’s assistant in music theory. James,” I began. “He was not very good and he was fired from his position, trashing our professor’s office and blaming Edward and I for the loss of his job. He was blacklisted and couldn’t get any other work, as far as we could see.”

“He made some disparaging comments to Bella and had charges pressed against him. Nothing came of that since he was fired,” Edward said, his eyes darkening. “He also sent her into a panic attack, too. The man’s a menace.”

“All the more reason why you need to carry your weapons,” Kellan sighed. He seemed tired, his eyes wary and his face drawn. This was wearing on him as much it was wearing on us. But, there was something more going on with him.

“Kellan, are you okay? Have you heard from Alice?” Edward asked.

“I’m stressed and worried about you,” he replied. “And I have heard from Alice. She’s staying in Los Angeles for a few weeks. Your mom is flying out to be with her.”

“Is it bad?” I asked.

Kellan’s hesitation told us it was. “She’s in a depressive episode. Her medications were off and the doctors are trying a new combination. She’s doing some outpatient therapy, but having Esme close by is helping.”

“When will she be back?” I questioned. “Will she come back?”

“She hopes to be back on tour by the time we travel to Milwaukee,” Kellan replied. “While you guys are celebrating your anniversary, I’m flying back to Los Angeles to spend some time with her, flying to Milwaukee with her.”

“I’ll be thinking about you, Kellan. Alice, too,” I whispered. “I remember her initial diagnosis and how much it impacted her.”

“Yeah. The stress of the stalker doesn’t help matters,” he chuckled humorlessly. “Now, Nia said you guys need to head up in about fifteen minutes for sound check and then she’s going to help you get ready for the show tonight.” He got up, leaving us and wandering aimlessly away.

“I didn’t know that things were so bad for Alice,” I muttered.

“I knew she was going back to LA and that she was struggling, but not to that extent,” Edward sighed. He looked at me, tugging me into his lap. “I need to hold you, baby. I hate that James is the cause to our strife. I hate that Alice is sick. I hate that we’re fighting, not as connected as we’ve been prior to this whole mess.”

“That’s James’ fault,” I sighed, leaning my cheek against his shoulder. “I’m sorry about punishing you for his actions.”

“I don’t blame you, baby,” Edward replied, kissing my forehead. “I’m just as gun-shy. What if we make love and more of those leaked photos surface on the internet?”

“Right,” I shrugged.

“Bells! Edward! We need you!” Nia shouted into the green room.

Before leaving, Edward cupped my face. “I love you, baby,” he said. “I’m glad that we have an idea as to who is doing this. I hate that our lives are disrupted because of it. I would do anything to make sure that you’re safe, protected.”

“Having James caught would be ideal,” I snorted.

“GUYS!” Nia whined. “Come on! Our time is precious. Move it! You better not be fucking down there.”

I blanched, shooting up and running to the bathroom. I lost my breakfast and lunch, retching violently. Edward held my hair back as I threw up. Falling back onto my ass, bit back tears. Edward gathered me in his arms and held me tightly. Nia was bitching, but she stopped complaining when she saw me having a full-fledged panic attack in the arms of my husband. I eventually calmed down, but we lost almost an hour and half of sound check because of my drama. Kellan was understanding, as was Lou, but Nia was upset.

At who? I have no fucking clue. I’m the one who was having mental breakdown.

For fuck sakes!

As I was getting ready, Nia came into my dressing room. She looked guilty, sad. I was sipping some hot tea, trying relax my voice since it was very raw from throwing up and crying. “Bella?” she whispered. “I hope you didn’t think I was being insensitive with that comment earlier.” I didn’t reply, just trying to stay calm and not fall into another panic attack. “Bells?”

“Nia, I …” I trailed. “I can’t really get into it right now. I’m exhausted from what happened and I have to put on a show. I don’t have the luxury to have another panic attack. We can talk once we’re done, okay?”

“Yeah,” Nia said, her posture defeated and upset. “I’m sorry.”

I nodded, applying the rest of my makeup as the Cliffhangers began their opening. Nia left and I felt bad that I was so cold to her, but I couldn’t run the risk of having another panic attack. I didn’t want to take my anti-anxiety medications. They knocked me out and with a two and half hour concert, I needed to be coherent. Edward and the rest of the band came in, along with Kellan, and we did our pre-show routine of praying.

After that, we went up to the stage, watching the last few songs of the Cliffhanger’s opening. They left the stage and our concert began in earnest. I struggled through the concert. It was all due to the panic attack and my brain being all befuddled. I missed cues, sang wrong words and had such a hard time hitting some of the notes in our songs. Edward and I made it work, performing duets of some of our famous songs, but I’d sing the lower part while Edward sang my usual vocal line.

Once the concert was over, we rode back to the hotel and I dozed off against Edward’s shoulder. Nia was still upset and Jasper tried to explain my panic attacks and how I dealt with stress. She had never experienced one of the more severe panic attacks like today. I made a vow to talk to her tomorrow, but when I was coherent and able to handle all the drama.

But, would the drama ever really go away?

xx LMDC xx

“Damn it,” Edward grumbled, his nose wrinkled as he read something on his computer.

“What?” I asked. “Did the photos get leaked?” My stomach churned with the possibility.

“No. Not that,” Edward sighed. “Emmett’s divorce has been made public _and_ we were torn to shreds for the concert yesterday by some entertainment reporter.”

“We can’t be on fire every time,” I shrugged. “And with my panic attack, it’s not surprising that we were lack luster at best. Or, at least I was. What does it say?” Edward pushed his computer toward me and made a face.

* * *

 

_Broken Midnight?_

_With a tour fraught with drama and issues, the alternative band, Breaking Midnight_ _really struggled with their concert yesterday evening at the Mobile Civic Center. The normally on-point band were dealing with several internal and external issues. It was abundantly clear that those issues are weighing heavily on the band._

_First off, the band’s drummer, Emmett Swan, went into rehab just prior to their tour. He struggled with alcohol and substance abuse, which impaired his judgment. He cheated numerous times with his wife for five years, Rosalie Hale-McCarty. There were rumors that they may reconcile, but papers were filed in a New York City court of their impending divorce proceedings._

_Secondly, the lead singer and sister to Emmett, Isabella Cullen, was having an_ off _night last night. Her voice was raspy and she seemed lethargic, like she was drugged. The band had cancelled an earlier concert in Peoria due to vocal fatigue, but that may have been a ruse, hiding a much larger problem. Perhaps, Emmett is not the only one to partake in the illegal drugs in the family. If last night’s concert was any sort of indication, that may be the truth._  
  


* * *

 

“Drugs?” I snarled. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Nia and Kellan are already on the phone, ripping the columnist a new asshole. They can report the truth, but they are defaming your name. And you were _not_ on drugs. You were just emotionally spent from what happened. And that’s understandable, Bella,” Edward said, caressing my cheek. “With that off-the-cuff remark from Nia, you had every right to be upset. It was too soon. Our wounds from those possibly leaked photos were too raw.”

“I probably overreacted, too,” I shrugged.

“I was just as pissed at Nia’s remark, too,” Edward muttered. “I just think everything was overwhelming, _cantante_.” I curled up in his arms, pouting sullenly. “We’ve got to get ready to go to New Orleans, love. I’m sorry about all of this. I wish I could make all of this better.”

“Just holding me makes it better,” I replied, snuggling closer to him. He kissed my forehead, his arms tightening. We stayed in that tangle until Kellan knocked on the door. Opening it up, Kellan said that we were leaving in an hour. He also said that he spoke with the editors of the newspaper. A retraction was in the works about my supposed drug use. It did little to assuage my anger.

I was just so angry. So lost.

Settling on the bus, I tried to calm down. I even took some of my anti-anxiety pills. I was riddled with anger, anxiety and just nervous energy. It made even worse when Nia came onto the bus. I forgot that I was supposed to talk to her. _Fuck. My. Life._ “Nia, I …”

“Just hear me out and then I’ll get out of your hair, Bells,” Nia said, her voice hollow. “What I said was completely inappropriate in light of what happened. I didn’t realize what I’d said until after it was out of my mouth. My filter was nonexistent. I’m so sorry for making you so upset yesterday. It was never my intention and I was being glib. However, in hindsight, that was not the best decision.”

“You think?” I snapped.

She cringed. “I’m sorry and I’ll keep my distance. I made a mistake. I hope, in time, you’ll be able to accept my apology. Kellan was close to firing me, but with all that’s happened, we need someone that can navigate social media and type up responses to the recent articles. Someone who has your best interests at heart.” I glared at her and she cringed. “I’m truly sorry, Bells. I never meant to make you upset. It’s just my …” She frowned, twisting her silver ring on her finger. “I’ll let you be.” Getting up, she scooted past Edward as he boarded the bus. “Edward,” she murmured.

“Hey, Nia,” he said, giving her a sympathetic grin. She responded in kind before scurrying to the other bus. “She looked afraid of her own shadow. Did she apologize?”

“She did, but I’m still pissed,” I snorted humorlessly. “Her words were callous and unthinking, especially with what had happened recently.”

“She knows that. Kellan was incredibly angry with her and said that he was very close to releasing her from her contract with Twilight, but with all of the bullshit going on …” he trailed off.

“That’s what she said, too,” I shrugged. The buses pulled away from the hotel in Mobile. “Am I being too pissy? I mean, should I forgive her?”

“I’m upset, too,” he murmured, tugging me into his arms. “It will take time, but I think we’ll be okay. Her words were off-the-cuff, but not intended to be malicious. Up until that possible sex tape was released, we were going at it like porn stars and fucking like bunnies.” I wrinkled my nose. “It’s the truth, Bella. Admit it.”

I sighed, leaning my cheek against his shoulder. He tightened his arms around. “It is true, but …”

“Just let me sulk,” I giggled. He chuckled, pressing his cheek against the crown of my head.

The three-hour drive was pretty quiet. Edward and I watched a movie and took a nap. We also saw the response that Nia and Kellan had posted regarding the article on the website for the Mobile Press-Register. It was succinct, but scathing in its simplicity. Even with the retraction, the accusation that I used drugs was too much.

Upon our arrival in New Orleans, Jasper wanted to go down to Bourbon Street. I was hesitant, but Edward pointed out that we couldn’t live our lives in fear. He reminded of what he said shortly after my first attack with Jacob in Forks. A life lived in fear is a life half-lived. So, I spent some time putting on some makeup, picked out a cute dress and we went out as a band. It was a lot of fun. We took photos with fans, eating delicious Cajun food and listening to the jazz music along Bourbon Street.

We went back to our hotel and I was bitten by the musical bug. Hearing some of the jazz progressions and the improvisation from the talented musicians, I had found my muse. I opened my computer and began typing out lyrics. Edward was in the shower. He was covered in beer since someone spilled their nearly full mug in their drunken debauchery. I was so engrossed that I didn’t hear him come into our suite. “What are you working on, _cantante?_ ” Edward asked, holding up a towel around his trim waist. I licked my lips, staring at his tattooed, sexy body. “Besides staring at me like I’m a side of beef.”

“Sorry. You’re all sexy, wearing nothing but a towel and showing off your tattoos,” I snickered. “And to answer your question, I was struck by the muse.”

“What are you writing?” he asked, sitting down next to me and looking at what I’d written. “A jazz influence?”

“I liked the sounds I heard tonight,” I shrugged. “I think the combination of our sound along with these chords? It would be a sweet marriage of sounds. Perhaps, we could use this on our next album?”

“If you write it? Fuck yeah!” Edward beamed, kissing my neck and getting up. He walked to our suitcase and pulled on a pair boxer briefs. He turned back to me, offering me his hand. “You going to write all night. Or are you going to snuggle with me?”

“Let me shower and then I’ll snuggle,” I said.

“You need help?” he asked, waggling his brows.

“You already showered, you goofball,” I snorted.

“So?” he laughed. I saved my work, putting my computer into sleep mode. His arms slid around my waist and he followed me into the shower. I was paranoid, checking each corner for any cameras before I removed my clothing. Edward slid off his boxer briefs and followed me into the glass shower. He helped wash my hair, massaging my back. It was all very innocent since I still felt very violated by the videos, but having that intimacy with my husband brought me some solace.

We spent time watching television and making out before falling into a restful sleep. The first one in almost a week.

xx LMDC xx

A full retraction and an apology from the Mobile Press-Register was issued in the next issue of the newspaper. Our press release, with our comments regarding their article was run right next to the retraction. Underneath that, there was a personal apology from the journalist who had made the comments. The whole thing ended up being a half of a page in the newspaper, in the entertainment section.

Our concert at the Smoothie King Center went by much smoother than the concert in Mobile. I felt at ease and not as edgy. Well, I looked edgy, wearing a black leather dress, but I wasn’t feeling emotionally edgy.

_Does that make sense?_

After the concert, we had a meet and greet party with some of our fans. I was glued to Edward’s side. With the fans, I was fearful that someone was sent to spy on us. The distance of the stage made me comfortable and being so close to someone who could cause us pain made me wary. I smiled for photos, answered questions, but the comfort-level I’d had before was nonexistent. Our privacy was breached and I was wary of everyone. Until this nonsense with James and his stalking was put behind us, I would not relax, which was unfortunate. This national tour was supposed to be fun, but instead it has been nothing but drama and fear.

The meet and greet ended. We rode back to the hotel. I was exhausted, maintaining the pleasant and approachable façade while freaking out on the inside was taxing. After another shared shower, I crashed hard in Edward’s arms. The next morning, Kellan said we’d spend the first part of the trip to Nashville on the same bus. Ryan and Agent Torres, who had arrived on a red eye, had information about James.

I was an anxious, nervous mess.

I prayed that they caught the bastard and that all of this was behind us. But, the grim tone on Kellan’s voicemail indicated otherwise.

Settling into our bus, Ryan and Agent Torres shared a look. Nia was in Jasper’s arms, avoiding me. Kellan was next to me, his hand holding mine while Edward held me close to his body. Emmett was pacing the width of the bus, biting his nails. “Please say you have good news,” he said, shooting Ryan a scowl.

“We have _news_ ,” Agent Torres said, wrinkling his nose. “It’s not good or bad.”

“It’s bad news,” Ryan growled. He pulled out his tablet and handed it to my brother. Emmett let out a strangled groan, sitting down heavily next to Nia. “I’ve learned that we can’t gloss over shit, Enrique. Be truthful.”

“Okay, okay,” Agent Torres sighed, scrubbing his face. “We executed a search warrant on James’ apartment.” Emmett handed Edward the tablet and his fingers clenched into a tight fist, which made him growl due to his broken knuckles. “On the outside, the apartment looked normal. However, when we entered the guest bedroom, we were shocked at what we saw.”

Edward handed me the tablet and I saw photos of a _shrine_ to me. And pictures of Edward, with his face scratched out or with words of hatred scrawled over his face. He wanted my husband dead. He wanted to take me, make me _his_ and he was graphic in how he wanted me. I shuddered, memories of Jacob’s hatred and desire to control me invading my mind.

“Was he there?” Edward asked, his voice tight and his body tense.

“No. He wasn’t,” Ryan muttered. “According to the super, he’s out of town on an extended business trip. His rent was set up to be sent electronically while he was gone. The super didn’t know when he was going to return, but the electronic deposits were set up for the rest of the year.”

“What about that other DNA?” I whispered. “Do you know who it is?”

“Whoever it is, is not in the system. We’re trying running familial DNA,” Agent Torres replied.

“What does this mean? I mean, what will James do?” I asked.

“James is a wildcard. He’s obsessed and from this shrine, he will stop at nothing to make you pay for what you did to him while you were at Emerson University,” Agent Torres growled.

“We didn’t do anything,” Edward snarled. “He was the monster who had a staring problem. He was the one that sent my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, into a panic attack because of his staring problem and his cruel actions. We did _nothing_. He was the psycho one. Not us. Not her!”

“We know this. We all know this, but James is a few chips short of a bag,” Ryan snorted. He leaned forward, his eyes hard and angry. “Bella, you _cannot_ be alone. This guy is unstable and from these photos, hell-bent on revenge.” He blinked over to Edward, who was now leaning heavily against the counter in the kitchenette. “Edward, you too. We need make sure that both of you are protected at all times. You also need to carry …”

“Is that really necessary?” Edward snapped.

“Yes,” Kellan nodded. “We’re going to spend some time in a gun range upon our arrival in Nashville. For now? We’re going to brainstorm ideas and prepare for the worst.”

“But, hope for the best,” Nia added. “We have to stay positive. If we don’t … this is going to get much worse before it gets better.”

“Nia’s right,” I sighed. “We need to work together as a team, but I’m going to be perfectly honest when I say that I can’t wait for our next break. I need a break from the crazy, from the drama. My mom and her bullshit, then Rose dropping the divorce on Emmett, the photo leaks and our internal strife? I’m done. I’m so done, but we have to work together and build each other up, not cut each other down.”

“Agreed,” Edward said. “We’re not going to back down. James is a sadistic bastard and he will not take away our happily ever after.” He sat back down, pulling me into his lap. “What’s the plan?”

**A/N: We got some news about James and found out that he’s totally crazy. I mean, he’s obsessed, _obsessed_! And Nia really stepped into it, too. Yes, Bella overreacted, but her comment was completely inappropriate. Emotions were high.**

**Up next will be a breeze by Nashville and their anniversary in Chicago. Leave me some loving! Pictures from Mobile and New Orleans are on my blog. To access that, the link is in my profile. I’m also on Facebook, Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation! Leave me some loving! Thank you for reading ;-)**

 

 

 


	19. Happy Anniversary?

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be a breeze by Nashville and their anniversary in Chicago.**

**Chapter Nineteen: Happy Anniversary?**

**EPOV**

Ryan, Kellan, Agent Torres and Charlie, via Skype, came up with a very detailed plan to keep us safe and sane. However, Bella was an anxious mess from the conversation. The fear of the unknown was weighing heavily on her. Me, too, but we had to _fight_ this battle head-on.

We stopped halfway to Nashville, about four hours into the trip. Everyone got off the bus while the gas tank was filled up. Agent Torres got into a waiting Yukon Denali, heading to the closest city to fly back to Washington D.C. He wished us luck for the rest of our tour and said he’d try his hardest to capture James and his accomplice, whoever they may be. Bella was curled up on the couch, barely keeping it together, watching the SUV drive away.

I really wanted to snap my fingers and take our strife away. “ _Cantante?_ ” I asked as I sat down next to her. “How are you feeling?” I took her hand, kissing her knuckles.

“Nervous, scared,” she whispered. “I just want this to be over.”

“The tour?”

She shrugged, idly playing with her hair. “I want James caught. Then, I could actually enjoy the rest of the tour. But, until he’s gone, I’m constantly on edge and just plain terrified of my own shadow. Edward, something has to give. I don’t know how much more I can take, baby.”

“I don’t blame you, beautiful,” I said, pulling her to my side and leaning my cheek against her soft hair. “I wish I could wave my hand and all of this was fucking over.” The doors of the buses closed and the driver came back on. He smiled, giving us the privacy we needed and took off from the gas station. “Let’s just get through our performance at the Grand Ole Opry and then spend time in Chicago, relaxing and celebrating our anniversary.”

“I hope that Pandora is doing a thorough sweep of our home in Chicago. I want to be able to stay there without fear of being …” she trailed off, her face paling. “What if he put cameras in our house, Edward?”

“You heard Ryan. He’s got a team watching all our properties and there has been no suspicious activity anywhere, but the house will be swept. Senior is meeting the team to check the brownstone. They’re going now and checking again just prior to our arrival,” I said, tracing her cheek with my finger. She pressed into my hand and moved so she was snuggled next to me. “I know that the pictures and videos rattled you, Bella.” She gave me a glare. “It more than rattled me.” I held up my hand, which was still encased in a cast.

“I’m just … this sucks,” she grumbled, burying her face into my chest.

“I know, Bella. Believe me, I know,” I muttered, holding her closely. “Come on. Let’s lay down. Our sleep the past few days have been lackluster at best.”

“No funny business,” Bella chided, getting up and walking to the rear of the bus. We settled on the queen-sized bed. Bella fell asleep quickly, draped across my chest. I idly played with her hair until I drifted off. When we woke up, we were pulling into Nashville. Upon our arrival, we checked into the hotel and spent the night with Emmett and Kellan. Nia was giving Bella space since my wife was still pissed off at her for the off-handed comment she’d made. With Nia staying away, Jasper stayed with her. They used the separation from us to go out on a date.

While hanging out with Kellan and Emmett, we Skyped to Alice and my adoptive mother. Alice looked better, but she was still anxious that her new medications would not work well. I could tell by her rapid talking and nervous fidgeting. Kellan eventually took the iPad with a smile, ducking into his suite to talk to Alice.

“Do you think Alice will join us in Milwaukee?” Emmett asked, leaning back and sipping his Coke. “She seemed all out of sorts.”

“Alice is determined,” I answered. “She’s just … freaking out.”

“I think we all are,” Bella snorted, popping a fry into her mouth. “It manifested itself with her mental illness. Me, too. I mean, my anxiety is at an all-time high. I don’t want to take my medications, but the idea of having them puts my mind at ease.”

“And you’re still not a hundred percent, Isabelly,” Emmett said, arching a brow. “You’re awfully pale, sis.”

“Just tired, Emmett and don’t call me Isabelly,” she chided, tossing a fry at her brother. He caught it with his mouth. “You’re such a pig, Emmett.”

“I don’t like to waste food,” he laughed, but sobered quickly. “Are you guys okay? I mean, with all that’s happening? I’m worried about you.”

“And we’re worried about you, too, Emmett,” Bella said. “Your marriage just ended, quite publicly.”

“I’m okay. As much as I can be,” he shrugged. “I think I knew it was coming, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. You know? We’re not talking about me right now. We’re talking about you guys. Are you okay? Do you need me kick some ass?”

“Whose ass are you going to kick? James?” Bella deadpanned. “The FBI can’t find him. How can you find him, Emmett McCarty Swan? Did you implant a tracking device into that asshole?”

“Nia?” Emmett smirked. “She is making herself scarce. That girl is terrified of you, Isabelly. You must have laid into her. What did she say to piss you off so royally?”

“I did not,” Bella argued, making a face. I snickered, which earned me a smack. “Okay, I did, but what she said was so inappropriate. I know that what she said was supposed to be funny, but with what just _recently_ happened, it was …” Her face was flushed and her hands were in tiny fists. My girl was so stubborn and held a grudge like no other. It would be a long time before she forgave Nia, but her indiscretion would never be forgotten. “Just give me time and I may be able to look past what she did.”

“And this situation with James?” Emmett asked, his eyes soft. “You know that all of us would do anything to insure your safety, Bella.” He blinked over to me, giving me a loving smile. “You, too, Eddie.”

xx LMDC xx

Our performance at the Grand Ole Opry was smaller, more intimate than our other concerts. It was because the venue itself was smaller than the other locations we’d performed. However, it was exactly what the doctor ordered. The crowds were welcoming and enthusiastic. Bella felt more at ease in front of that audience, acting more like herself. When we were done, we packed our belongings and got on a private jet, flying to Chicago Executive Airport. Emmett decided to go to Forks, spending time with Charlie. Jasper and Nia flew back to Los Angeles, Kellan in tow so he could spend time with Alice.

We arrived at the brownstone around three in the morning. Senior was waiting for us at the airport. He looked exhausted, but thrilled to see us. He hugged Bella tightly before passing her to Kathryn, who was also waiting for us. Kathryn loved up on my wife and my father helped me with the luggage. “You guys look totally spent,” Senior said, balancing the bags. “And what the hell happened to your arm?”

“It’s a long story, Dad. Can I tell you tomorrow? When it’s not o’dark thirty?” I deadpanned. “We performed tonight and with _all_ that’s happened, we just want to sleep in our own bed.”

“Do I need to be worried?” he asked, his brows furrowed.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Come over tomorrow. I’ll call you, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, helping me load up the back of the SUV. He hugged me tightly before we clambered into the backseat. Ryan was in the driver’s seat. He drove us back to our brownstone. He was staying in the guest bedroom on the bottom floor. With all that had happened, we felt we needed extra protection. I wanted to have _time_ _alone_ with my wife, but Ryan, Kellan and Bella were adamant on having someone stay with us. Ryan did promise to stay inconspicuous and be mindful of our privacy, since we were home for our wedding anniversary.

Our six-year wedding anniversary.

Bella crashed and was snoring against me as we pulled up to the house. “I’ll take care of the bags, Edward,” Ryan said. “Unless, you need me to carry her upstairs?” He gestured to my braced arm.

“No, I’ve got her,” I said. He nodded and I easily maneuvered her into my arms, carrying her inside. She barely stirred as I laid her onto the bed. I tugged off her jeans, tucking her under the covers. I went downstairs, checking on Ryan and making sure he was okay with his room. He waved me off and told me to go to bed. I gave him an appreciative smile, darting upstairs and stripping down to my boxer briefs. I curled around my wife, holding her close. She sighed, snuggling against me and within moments, I was with her in dreamland.

We woke up in the early afternoon, to snarling stomachs and ringing phones. Bella answered the phone and I got up, padding down to the kitchen. I began making us breakfast. I heard Bella tiredly speak on the phone. She plopped down on the kitchen counter. “I’m glad that you’re with Dad, Emmett. You need to spend time with family,” she yawned. “How’s Sue? How’s everyone?” She blinked over to me, pleading with her eyes. “Coffee, Edward. I need caffeine. Sorry, Emmett. I’m still here. You woke us up with the phone call … I know it’s after one. We didn’t get to Chicago until three in the morning. You were smart in flying out today.”

I poured her coffee and she eagerly accepted it, sipping it and smiling thankfully. I turned back to the bacon that was on the griddle and removed it, placing it onto a paper towel. Bella finished her phone call, tossing it onto the counter. “I love my brother, but I could have used another two hours of sleep or more. That was the best sleep I’d had in what felt like forever.”

“We can go back to sleep, but after we eat. Your stomach sounds like a hungry grizzly bear,” I snickered. “Scrambled, or sunny side up?”

“Scrambled, with cheese,” she replied, hopping off the counter and swiping some cheese from the fridge. “Who filled this up?”

“Senior,” I answered. “He sent me a text while we were performing in Nashville.” I worked on making our breakfast, scrambling her eggs, adding cheese. She continued to sip her coffee, looking at her phone and checking email. “Anything good?”

“Kellan just sent a quick note that Alice will be joining us in Milwaukee,” Bella said. “Jasper and Nia arrived in Albany, spending time with her family. He said he’s going to talk to Nia’s dad and possibly ask to marry her.”

“That’s … _wow,_ ” I said, widening my eyes. “I never knew that he was considering proposing. I knew they were serious, but marriage.”

“You sound almost disappointed,” Bella said. “I’m still upset about what she said, but she deserves happiness. So does Jasper.”

“I’m not upset or disappointed. Not at all,” I answered, plating our breakfast. “I … I just … why didn’t he talk to me? He’s one of my best friends. I figured I’d know if he was considering proposing marriage to … to …”

“I get it,” Bella said, cupping my cheek. “I think that with all that happened, he probably didn’t feel like disturbing us. Drama has been surrounding us as of late.” She gave me a wry grin and I could tell how much it had been affected her. Her pale skin was almost translucent and despite all the sleep we’d gotten, she had dark circles under her eyes, which were tinged with fear and wariness. “What is it? Your brow is furrowed.”

“I’m worried about you, Bella,” I said. I traced underneath her eyes and she sighed, leaning against my hand. “I know you saw a doctor, but I think that perhaps we should get a second opinion. Maybe get a prescription, a different prescription, for anti-anxiety medications? One that won’t knock you out?”

“Maybe. Does Carlisle still have connections in Chicago?” Bella asked, tucking into her breakfast.

“I’ll call him, but after we get some more sleep. I’m fucking exhausted,” I laughed, practically shoving the eggs and bacon into my mouth. Bella giggled, pushing her nearly full plate toward me. I arched a brow. “Not hungry?”

“It smells delicious, but tastes weird,” she shrugged. “I’ll just have some fruit.” She swiped some yogurt and fresh berries. She whipped up a quick breakfast, nibbling on it as I finished her eggs. We worked together to do the dishes before walking back up to the master bedroom. Bella was snuggled in bed and asleep by the time I came out of the bathroom, answering the call of nature. It rose red flags that there was something more going on with my wife. Carlisle would be my first call after we woke up and showered, followed by Senior. He needed to be brought in the loop regarding James.

I didn’t fall back asleep. I just held Bella until she stirred on her own, a couple of hours later. “Watching me as I sleep? That’s just creepy, Cullen,” she said, opening her eyes and wrinkling her nose adorably.

“You’re gorgeous,” I said, kissing her forehead. “And I was only watching you for the last fifteen minutes or so, when you were getting restless.”

“I’m so far from gorgeous. I’m gross. I need to shower,” she said, sitting up and stretching her body. She bit her lip, looking at me coyly. “You want to join me?”

“Seeing my wife, naked and wet? Yes, and please,” I laughed, sweeping her off the bed and into the bathroom. My hand barked, but hearing her giggle and squeal was worth it. She was still adamant on checking every corner before removing her clothes. The house had been checked, but she was still wary of being photographed and for those photographs and our privacy being breached.

I didn’t blame her.

We showered and kissed each other. I wanted to make love to her, but she was still gun-shy. She apologized for getting me worked up, hard as a rock and shutting me down. Then, she started crying. That made me soft and I held her against my chest as she sobbed, apologizing, unnecessarily, really. We stayed in the shower until the water went cold. “Beautiful, let’s get you warmed up and dried off,” I said, turning off the faucet. Stiffly, she followed me and I wrapped her into a towel. I swiped some loose clothes, dressing her and tucking her into the bed. She still crying, her gaze unfocused and her expression was heart-breaking. “I love you, Bella. I’m sorry …”

“No, I’m sorry. I’m an awful wife,” she choked out.

I bit back a growl, kissing her forehead and putting on a pair of shorts. “I’m going to call Senior and Carlisle. I think you should, _we_ should talk to someone. This is stressful to anyone, but coupled with our very public lives?”

“Okay,” she said, curling up into a tiny ball.

_Damn it._

I kissed her forehead, ducking out of the bedroom. Dialing my adoptive father, I slipped into one of the guest bedrooms. “Edward! It’s been too long,” he sang. “How’s the tour?”

“To be honest? A fucking mess. It’s all a fucking mess, Dad. I need help. We need help,” I said, my voice cracking.

“Talk to me,” he said, his voice soft.

I told him about the pictures and about Bella’s fear and overwrought emotions. I explained how I had to leave and my anger, ending in my broken knuckle. All of this was weighing on us and we needed help. Bella, in particular, needed it the most.

“I have a friend who works out of the University of Chicago. She’s an internist. I want her to check Bella out physically,” Carlisle explained. “She’s probably suffering from exhaustion and it’s manifesting itself in these emotional outbursts. Her world, _your_ world has been invaded and she feels out of control. After Bella’s checked out, my colleague, Dr. Gretl, can help you from there.”

“You think there’s more going on, don’t you?” I asked.

“The emotions? Her exhaustion? Is Bella still on birth control?” he asked. “Could she be pregnant?”

“We were talking about starting a family. She got her shot prior to our leaving for the tour, at the beginning of April, end of March,” I said. “We haven’t been intimate since Miami, at the beginning of August, for obvious reasons. She’s terrified of our private moments being broadcast to the world. Besides, she had a pregnancy test in Jacksonville. It was negative.”

“And you were in Jacksonville almost three weeks ago?” Carlisle pressed. “If my math is correct, Bella’s shot became ineffective on July 1st. She could be pregnant. I’m not saying it’s a possibility. Most women struggle getting pregnant after being on Depo, but Bella could be the exception to the rule. If she is pregnant, she’ll have to stop taking her anxiety medication and significantly reduce her stress level. It’s not good for the baby.”

“Do you really think?” I whispered, praying that _something_ good has come from all this drama. “I could be a daddy?”

“I do, Edward, but have Dr. Gretl run her tests,” Carlisle chuckled. “I’m a retiring oncologist. I did my OB/GYN rotation many, many moons ago.” He sighed. “I’ll call her and give her your cell phone number. I trust her. She helped out a great deal when we got Alice. She’s a great doctor and she’ll treat you like family.”

“Thanks,” I said. “And don’t say anything to Mom. She’s already dealing with a lot with Alice and her relapse.”

“Noted,” Carlisle said. “Love you, Edward. Give my love to my daughter-in-law. She needs all of the strength and support she can get.”

I ended the call, dialing Senior. I told him the same thing as I told Carlisle and he was pissed, to say the least. He’d had an inkling that something big was going down when Nia called him about calling the tabloid rags. She hadn’t said much, but he’d gotten the gist of the drama. However, he was very worried about Bella. Even in the pre-dawn light, he could tell that this was causing a great deal of strain on her. I did tentatively plan dinner with Senior and Kathryn, for the final night we were in Chicago, before departing for Milwaukee. However, that was all up to Bella and how she felt.

Almost as soon as I hung up with my biological father, my cell phone rang and it was a local number. “Edward Cullen?” I said, wary of the person calling me.

“Edward? My name is Heidi Gretl and I used to work with your father. He said you needed a physician?” she said, her voice warm and kind.

“I don’t, but my wife does,” I said.

“I’m finishing up at the office and I could come to your home,” she said.

“A house call?”

“Carlisle said that discretion and privacy were incredibly important to you,” she said. “With your fame, I can understand why. I can vow to keep your medical records and the conversations with you and your wife private. I’ve got numerous patients who … _value_ … their privacy.”

“You’re a concierge doctor,” I said, arching a brow.

“Essentially, yes,” she said. “I do have an office and I’m affiliated through University of Chicago, but most of my clients are private, wealthy and eccentric.” My phone beeped. “I sent over my credentials, along with my personal NDA, my promise to you to keep your secrets. Does seven sound good?”

“Of course. Thank you,” I said. “Is this a cell phone?” She replied affirmatively. “I’ll text you the address. I also have personal security here. He’ll let you in.”

“Understood,” she said, all business and hung up the phone.

I sent her the address and I went downstairs, telling Ryan about our incoming guest. He said he’d do a quick background check and if she came up clear, he’d let her in. I made us some light dinner, comfort food, of grilled cheese and tomato soup. I checked on Bella and she was a little better, still upset at herself, but I did the best I could to put her mind at ease. After we ate our dinner, I told her about Dr. Gretl. She was a little pissed that I’d told Dad about our problems, but when I pointed out her fears and emotional state, she backed down.

She needed help. _We_ needed help. Our relationship, while strained at the moment, was solid. It was the stress of James and his gross invasion of our privacy that was wreaking havoc on our intimacy, physical and otherwise.

Shortly before seven, I heard Ryan downstairs and I knew that Dr. Gretl was here. “Are you ready, _cantante?_ ” I asked.

“Yeah. I’m sorry that I’m a mess,” she whispered.

“We’re both a mess,” I countered, helping her up and guiding her downstairs. Ryan was speaking with an older woman, with a sleek salt-and-pepper bob. She was immaculately dressed, with an air of authority, but a warmth surrounding her, putting us at ease. “Dr. Gretl?”

“Please, call me Heidi,” she said, holding out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Cullen.” We shook and she blinked to Bella. “Mrs. Cullen.”

“Edward and Bella, please,” Bella blushed. “Would you like something drink?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “Would you like to sit down while I take your history?” Bella nodded, leaning heavily against me. I led us to the family room. I got Bella some water and tea and a soda for myself. Heidi was everything that we needed to put our minds at ease. She spent an hour just _talking_ to Bella before she began the medical examination, which happened in our bedroom. Shortly before nine, Heidi was done and settled my wife in our bed. She smiled at me, guiding me to the hallway. “Bella gave me permission to share my findings with you. I know that Carlisle said Bella may be pregnant. Well, I gave her a pregnancy test and it was negative, but it could be that the pregnancy is too early to register. I’m erring on the side of caution. She should not be taking the anxiety pills or any sort of anti-depressants. Not now. I know it seems counterintuitive, but with the inconclusive pregnancy test, I don’t want her to deal the issues of a baby with medical issues.”

“Do you think we could be pregnant?” I asked.

“I took some blood. That is a much more clear-cut indicator of pregnancy, as opposed to peeing on a stick,” Heidi said wryly. “She is physically and emotionally exhausted. My prescription is rest and relaxation, _no stress_. I think the best thing for her is to just spend this week in bed and binge-watching television, cuddled to your side. In regards to her fears about being watched, that will abate over time. She needs to feel safe before she can get over that paranoia. I’ve given her my phone number and she can call at any time. However, she feels like she’s let you down with her, and I quote, ‘teasing’ of you in the shower.”

“What? Never. I feel badly that she feels pressured. That was never my intention,” I said, tugging at my hair. “I miss my wife. I miss feeling her and prior to this invasion of privacy, we were quite, um, adventurous.”

“She told me,” Heidi snickered. “And she wants that, too. She misses feeling you, as well. But, that safety, feeling of comfort, needs to be return before you can go at it like horny rabbits.”

“How can I do that? How can I help her feel safe? I can’t make James go away. We have twenty-four-hour protection,” I said, frustrating lacing my tone.

“Love her,” Heidi said simply, cocking her head. I gave her a hard glare. “I know you love her, but show her love. Unconditional love and support. She’s almost there. Being here, she says she feels more at ease than she did on the road.” She gave me a soft smile. “You have my number, too. Both of you are my patients.” She patted my hand and began walking to the stairs. “Tell Carlisle hello and I’ll check in with you as soon as I get the blood test results. Call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” I said, nodding minutely. “I appreciate it all. Ryan will see you out.” We shook hands and Heidi met up with Ryan at the foot of the stairs. I heard them talking and the door closed. I turned on my heel, walking into the bedroom and found Bella curled up. She was holding the stuffed lion I’d purchased for her when we were in college. “Where did you find that?”

“After I changed back into my clothes, I found him on the floor in our closet. I wanted a snuggle buddy since you were kicked out of the bedroom,” she quipped, pushing her up glasses. “I liked Heidi. She reminds me of Michele, my therapist from Emerson.” She blushed, tucking the lion under her chin.

“Did you feel okay? Better?” I asked.

“She gave me some pamphlets and stress reducing techniques,” Bella said. “With the possibility of being pregnant, she doesn’t want me taking my meds for anxiety.”

“What do you think? I mean, about being pregnant? Possibly?” I whispered.

“I’m cautiously excited,” she answered. “But, the rapid test was negative. She said that the blood tests would probably be the same.” She blinked up, her eyes rimmed with tears. “I hope that I am pregnant. It would explain _so much_. These emotions … I mean, they’re kicking my ass.”

“You have every right to be emotional, _cantante_ ,” I said. “I get it and I’m trying my hardest to make sure that you don’t feel that way again. I swear it.” I crawled into bed, idly playing with one of her messy curls. “So, this entire time we’re here, I’m your slave.”

“Edward, stop,” she snorted. “I can get up and do shit.”

“You can, but you’re not. You spoiled me for my birthday. I’m spoiling you for our anniversary,” I said, moving her so she was in my arms. “Heidi said that her prescription was rest and relaxation for you.”

“That does sound pretty fucking perfect,” Bella said, leaning her head against my chest. She sighed, listening to my heartbeat. “I love you, Edward. I’m so sor …”

“Don’t even think of apologizing, Isabella Marie. Never,” I said, cupping her chin and forcing her eyes up to mine. “It’s not your fault. It’s not mine, either. Let’s just enjoy this quiet time and relax.”

xx LMDC xx

And for two days we relaxed, not leaving the bedroom except to get food. Bella slept most of the time, clearly exhausted from the whole ordeal leading up to our anniversary. The third day, Heidi called us and said that the blood test indicated that Bella wasn’t pregnant. She was probably dealing with her body producing its own hormones and that was why she was so emotional. Bella was not happy about the news, but took it stride. She said that it was not an ideal time to get pregnant with the tour still going on. However, her eyes shone with sadness. I wanted to make that sadness go away.

When we went to bed that night, we were curled around each other and as close as we’d been in weeks. In fact, in the middle of the night, I woke up to Bella’s soft lips traveling down my bare torso and her hands gliding along the waistband of my boxer briefs. “Bella,” I choked out. “What are you doing?”

“I miss you,” she said, her voice husky and filled with need. “I miss us.” I opened my eyes, seeing Bella naked and pressed to my side. Her legs were tangled with mine and I could feel her heat against my thigh. “Let me make you feel good.”

“I’m supposed to be spoiling you, _cantante_ ,” I said, cupping her face and kissing her deeply and tasting her sweet mouth. She moaned, her fingers tangling into my hair. I rolled us and hovered over her. “I’m going to spoil you, baby. With orgasms. Earth-shattering, mind-numbing, toe-curling orgasms.” I kissed her lips, sliding my tongue into her mouth. She moaned, hooking her legs around my waist. However, I didn’t stay up by her mouth for long. It had been too long since I’d tasted her, feasted on her pussy. I slithered down her body, wrapping my lips around her pierced nipple.

“Oh, fuck,” she gasped, her body bucking when I flicked her tit with my tongue. Her hands were buried in my hair, tugging on the strands and pushing me further down her body. “Lick me. Taste me. Edward, please!”

_There’s my raunchy girl._

“Where?” I asked, teasing her with my fingers. “Where do you want my tongue, baby?”

“Fuck me with your tongue,” she growled, her eyes flashing. “Taste my pussy and how wet I am. For. You.”

“Oh, yeah,” I growled, kissing her deep and hard on her mouth before pushing myself between her thighs. Her pussy was bare, leaking and swollen for me. Licking my lips, I bent my head down and inhaled deeply. Her arousal hit me like a ton of bricks, making my cock swell within the confines of my boxers. _Worry about that later. Focus on tongue fucking your wife._ I ran my tongue along her slit, growling like an animal at the sweetness of her essence. She shuddered, her hands tugging on my hair as she came apart from one swipe of my tongue. However, one taste was definitely not enough.

I needed this as much as she did. So, I kept swirling my tongue over her clit, inside her and teasing her ass. Bella whimpered, bucking almost uncontrollably as I devoured her. It was the most amazing, beautiful and erotic thing I’d seen in almost a month. Watching, feeling and experiencing my wife becoming completely unraveled was so sexy. Tasting her release as she coated my tongue with her delectable essence was better than any of the finest desserts. She came twice more before I got my fill of her succulent pussy. “Edward,” she panted, looking down at me. Her eyes were rheumy and her face was flushed. “As fucking amazing as that was, I want to feel you. _Inside_.”

“Your wish is my command, baby,” I said. She pushed my boxer briefs over my hips and she tugged on my neck, crashing me against her body. She moaned when she tasted herself on my mouth and lips. I rocked against her, coating my cock in her wetness and teasing her entrance. She pleaded for me and I positioned the swollen head of my dick, easing into her tightness. “Oh, fuck me.”

“No, fuck me,” she whimpered.

“Bella, I want to worship you,” I said, staring into her unfocused eyes. “It’s what you deserve, my love. We’ve fucked a lot lately and now, it’s time for me to show you how much I love and adore you. You are my _everything_. I would move mountains for you, Bella. I’d do _anything_ for you.”

“Edward,” she cried, tears leaking out of her eyes. I wiped them away and kissed her sweetly before I moved within her, allowing myself to enjoy making love to my wife. This is how it should always be. It wasn’t tawdry, dirty or ugly. It was beautiful and filled with respect, joy and most importantly, love. Lots and lots of love. “You … oh, God … feel so …”

“I know, _cantante_ ,” I whispered. “Just feel me. Feel us. This is us. This is our love.” She clawed at me and I kissed her again, sliding my tongue between her lips. Our bodies moved as one. It was lovemaking in its purest form. With a shudder, Bella came apart, again, in my arms. Her muscles clenched around my cock and she gasped, burying her teeth into the junction where my neck met my shoulder. The sting of her teeth made me explode within her, filling her with my release. I stayed inside her until I went soft, slipping out of her. We both whimpered and she kissed my chest, my neck, anywhere she could, tenderly and reverently. “Hi,” I said, brushing her curls away from her sweaty cheek. “You okay?”

“Mmmmhmm,” she said, smiling sweetly. “Better than okay. I really did miss _us_.”

“Me, too,” I whispered, kissing her tenderly before rolling off her and onto my side. I traced my fingers along her ribcage, gliding them along the ink that adorned her pale skin. “Being inside you … it truly was a magical experience.”

“Yeah,” she said, snuggling close to me and sighing contentedly. “I’m sorry about the sexbargo, but …”

“I get it, baby,” I said soothingly. “I was just as freaked out.”

“I wanted to be at home, in the dark,” she said and I could feel the heat of her cheeks. “If it was dark, not much would be seen.” I sighed, understanding her fears. It would take for us to feel like normal. What we did, was incredibly tame compared to what we’ve done in the past. However, just being able to make love to her meant more than words could be describe. “You must think I’m crazy,” she snorted humorlessly.

“No, Bella. I don’t. I get it,” I said, kissing her forehead. “I really do. You’re not the only one who was …” I trailed off. “I get it.” She nodded, moving closer to me and tightening her arms around my waist. “Now, let’s get some sleep and regain our strength for round two.”

We slept for a few hours and I woke up to Bella’s mouth on my cock. I came hard, blurting out expletives to the ceiling fan. Bella sat back on her haunches and she smirked confidently as she daintily wiped her mouth. I attacked her neck, kissing her hungrily and teased her until I was hard once again. When I was, I slid inside her. It was much more intense because I could look into her eyes and see her body. I could see myself dip inside her body and the wetness coating my cock. With a shared breath, shared body and one soul, we came together with whispered pleas of love and devotion.

It was exactly what the _doctor_ ordered.

xx LMDC xx

“Thanks for going out with me, Dad,” I said to Senior. It was the day of our anniversary. Max was following us. I’d told Ryan that I needed to run a few errands and he didn’t want to leave Bella unattended. So, Max, who was already in Milwaukee drove down and was acting as our security detail. “With everything that’s been happening, I had forgotten to get Bella an anniversary present.”

“I did the last-minute anniversary shopping, too,” Senior chuckled, driving us to Jeweler’s Row. “But, why turquoise?”

“The sixth wedding anniversary presents are candy, iron and turquoise. I’m not about to get my wife a set of cast iron cookware or an obscene amount of candy. She’d kill me. Turquoise and amethyst are the alternative gemstone options. Bella’s favorite color is purple, but when I give her jewelry, especially purple jewelry, I want something _more_ than amethyst. Turquoise is gorgeous and funky, just like Bella. So, I want turquoise,” I explained. “Here, Sal’s has my order.”

Senior parked the car on the street and we got out. I tugged on a hat, putting on a pair of sunglasses. I was well disguised. Striding into Sal’s jewelry store, I met with the older Italian man who barely came up to my shoulder. “Sal, thanks for bending over backwards for getting this for me. I suck as a husband.”

“Nonsense, Mr. Masen,” he laughed, shaking my hand. I’d used my birth name to keep the order and my presence in the city on the down-low. Everyone knew Edward Cullen, lead guitarist and singer for the band, Breaking Midnight. Edward Masen, Jr., the son of philanthropist and lawyer, Edward Masen, Sr., was far less recognizable. “I had these flown in from my brother, Vincent, all the way from Santa Fe. His turquoise jewelry is exquisite and I think you’ll be pleased. I ordered several different pieces and I’ll let you choose.” He led us to a back room and pulled out some chunky jewelry. “You said bold. This is as bold as Vincent makes.”

“You were right. It is exquisite,” I said, picking up the bracelet and smiling. “This is beyond anything that I had hoped for.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Sal beamed, clapping his hands. “So, the bracelet?”

“All of it,” I said. Sal’s eyes bugged out of his head almost comically. “My wife deserves all this exquisite jewelry.” I slapped down my black AMEX card, arching a brow. Sal smiled, swiping my card and handing me the credit slip. “Can you wrap this all up?”

“Of course,” he nodded. He picked up the jewelry, placing it into a sleek black box and into a matching, plain black bag. With a flourish, he added some black tissue paper and some silver ribbon. “If there’s anything else, Mr. Masen, please don’t hesitate to call.”

I smiled crookedly, shaking his hand and taking the bag. Dad and I left the shop. Max nodded from the black SUV across the street. I gave him a wave, sliding into the passenger seat of my Dad’s car. We drove to some fancy card shop and I picked out a one-of-a-kind anniversary card. Upon our return to the house, I saw that Ryan and Bella were gone. Max sauntered in behind me. “Where’s your boss?”

“He sent a text and said that Bella had a major case of cabin fever. They went out to get you _your_ anniversary present,” Max explained. “I was supposed to tell you. I sent you a text, but you haven’t checked your phone.” I reached into my jeans, pulling out my cell phone. I saw Max’s text. I gave him a glower. “What?”

“Call me next time,” I sighed. “Now, since you’re here, make yourself useful. In the garage, there’s some twinkle lights. I want them to be put up in the backyard, on the pergola. It’s my anniversary and I want to make the day special.” Max grumbled, stomping out the back door. Max was a good guy, but did have a lazy streak. A few hours in the humid, Chicago summer weather, he’d get over it.

I made a phone call to Spiaggia, ordering mushroom ravioli, caprese and antipasto salad, and tiramisu, arranging for it to be delivered at six. Dad said he’d go to Binny’s to pick up some champagne and limoncello. I went upstairs, showering and taking time to shave my scruffy face. I dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a black button-down, splashing my face with some after shave. I heard the door open and Bella’s sweet voice float up the stairs. I slid on a pair of shoes, going down to the kitchen. She was wearing a summery dress, her hair curled into low ponytail. “ _Cantante_ ,” I smiled. “How was your afternoon?”

“Good. I had to get you your anniversary present,” she said, gesturing to the bags on the counter. “It slipped my mind. I knew that we were off, but when I woke up this morning, after I’d gone down on you, I realized that we’re off for our _anniversary_.”

“We were on the same page, love,” I snickered, enfolding her into my arms. “And I think we were both preoccupied with _other_ things.”

“I can see that you have something up your sleeve,” she giggled, pointing to Max working outside.

“I do,” I said. “Hmmmm, six years I said that to you, making you my wife. At almost this exact time, Mrs. Cullen.”

“You are such a romantic,” she whispered, her fingers gliding down my jaw. “And so fucking handsome. How did I get so lucky?”

“You had a pixie of a roommate, the warmest heart and the most gorgeous voice,” I whispered back, nuzzling her neck with my nose. “I love you, _cantante_. So much.”

“I adore you,” she sighed, her arms tightening around my neck. “I’m going to shower and change. It’s so humid today.”

“Chance of storms tonight,” I said, waggling my brows. “I want to make love to my wife, having her explode with the lightning.”

“Ooooh, yes,” Bella sang, her eyes darkening. “Lightning makes me look sexy.”

“You look sexy. Period,” I laughed. “You are, by far, the sexiest woman I’ve ever met and will always be sexy. And smart. And talented. And …”

“Okay, I get it. My head is going to grow too big with all of the compliments,” she said, dancing up the stairs. “Looking at your attire? Dressy?”

“Or nothing,” I called back.

“Nice try, Cullen,” she yelled, laughing.

My dad came by with the alcohol and he gave me a smirk. “Happy Anniversary, Edward. You’ve got a great wife.”

“Agreed,” I snickered. “Thanks for picking this up. Dinner on Sunday?”

“Probably not. I’m leaving for Albany early Monday morning. I’ve got a case,” he said. “It just fell into my lap, last minute.” I made a face. “I’m sorry, Edward. I’m taking some time off so I can come see you guys in Vegas. I’m bringing Kathryn with me.”

“You’re coming to Vegas?”  I asked.

“Yep. I haven’t seen you perform since that first college tour,” he said. “I want to see my son rock the house.” He held up his hand, sticking out his tongue and acting like Gene Simmons.

“Oh, Dad. No. Just no,” I laughed. “But, I’m pumped that you’re going to be at our Vegas show.”

“It’s long overdue,” he said, hugging me tightly. “Give my love to Bella. I’m off to dinner with Kathryn and then we’re going to the symphony.”

“Fancy schmancy,” I smirked. He rolled his eyes, leaving me and waving at the guys, who were finishing the lights in the backyard. I poked my head out and Ryan strode over to me. “Thanks for watching my wife today.”

“No problem. Though, Max said that you gave him shit today,” Ryan chuckled.

“Oh, no. He’s the one who gave me shit,” I sighed. “He forgot to pass along the message that you were out with Bella. He _sent a text_ , not calling me. Then, he copped an attitude. That’s why he’s out here, setting up the lights.”

“This is not the first time that Max took the lazy way out. I’ll call up Greg to be one of your personal security. I’ll move Max to be on the outskirts. His laziness could have …” Ryan sighed, scrubbing his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. It wasn’t _that_ bad, but the attitude was not helpful. You think we want to have a freaking psycho sending us scary letters, invading our privacy and scaring the shit out of us? Fuck. No,” I spat. “Sorry. I don’t mean to snap at you. You’re one of the good guys.”

“Thank you, Edward. I’ll speak with Max and send him to Milwaukee. I’ll get Greg here by tomorrow,” Ryan said.

“Is that necessary? We’re leaving in two days,” I murmured.

“Better safe than sorry, Edward. I’m also going to inform Pandora of Max’s behavior. Twilight is paying a pretty penny for our services. You should not have to deal with an asshole when you’re dealing with a psycho asshole,” Ryan snorted. He slapped my shoulder, pulling out his cell phone. “Oh, I’ll make myself scarce tonight.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“I’m not going far. I’m using the room above the garage,” Ryan said. “Happy anniversary, Edward. We’ll talk tomorrow about the changes in security for the next leg of the tour. Things are going to be different.” He pressed a button on his phone, effectively ending our conversation. As Max plugged in the lights, he tugged on Max’s arm and dragged him out of the backyard.

I ducked back into the house as I heard the doorbell. I greeted the delivery guy from Spiaggia and tipped him handsomely for his services and his discretion. He left and I plated the meals onto our serving dishes. As I was putting the champagne into ice bucket, Bella walked down the stairs. She was wearing a gorgeous coral dress that made her look like a Greek goddess. She played that up with gladiator sandals and her hair in loose, sexy curls. “Wow,” I breathed. “You are … there are no words to describe how gorgeous you are.”

“Stop it,” she blushed. “I wanted to match you. You’re so handsome, looking all dark and mysterious with what you’re wearing.” She walked over to me and slid her arms around my waist. “You are the gorgeous one, Mr. Cullen.” I kissed her soft, pink lips. “Hmmm, another one.”

“Gladly, Mrs. Cullen,” I cooed. I brushed my lips against hers, smiling when I heard her sigh contentedly. “Love you.”

“Love you,” she replied, squeezing my ass. “What can I do?”

“Carry this outside,” I said, handing her the salad. She nodded and ducked out to the patio. I followed her with the antipasto, warm bread and champagne. I opened it, pouring it into the champagne flutes and we began our meal. We were relaxed and talked about our plans _after_ the tour. We were looking forward to some down time and possibly starting a family. I also wanted to travel with my wife, without the stresses of a tour.

Someplace tropical. Secluded.

_Clothing optional._

After dinner, Bella made coffee and I grabbed dessert from the fridge. I also picked up the bag from Sal’s that contained her present. I placed it on the back patio. Bella followed me, carrying a tray with the coffee and a bag hanging from her arm. “Great minds,” I snickered.

“Presents,” she retorted. “Gotta love presents.”

“I love giving you presents,” I said, pulling her into my lap after she put the tray down. I kissed her neck and she giggled. “I hope that you had a great anniversary.”

“I got the best thing ever. Spending time with you. I love our family. I like touring, but being with you is the most important thing to me,” she sighed, kissing my lips quickly. “And I love giving _you_ presents.”  She put the silver bag onto my lap. “Happy anniversary, baby. Open it.”

I kissed her again, balancing her on my lap and tore into the bag. There was a card. I opened that first and I laughed, seeing Bella’s quirky, dirty sense of humor. “Really, Bella?”

“Tonight, handsome,” Bella blushed. “In more ways than two.”

“Sweet,” I sang.

“Come on, Edward. Open the present. Stop thinking of where you can stick your cock,” she giggled. “I’m a sure thing.” She poked the bag, arching a perfect brow. I pulled out three boxes from the bag and started with the smallest one. “Save that for last.”

“Oooookay,” I chuckled. I picked up the largest of the three boxes. I opened it, gasping at seeing what was inside the box. “Wow … this is gorgeous.”

“It’s a cast iron sculpture of a couple in love,” Bella said. “And seeing how we’re sitting in almost the exact position, it’s perfect for us.”

“I love it,” I breathed. “Which one next?” She pushed a smaller box. I opened that, seeing a photo. My brows shot to my hairline. “Golf clubs?”

“Charlie said it’s relaxing. And when you’ve gone, you’ve borrowed clubs. When we get done with the tour, these are going to be made just for you after some high-tech tests or some shit. I wanted to just get you the clubs, but Ryan said that getting you fitted appropriately would be the best,” Bella said. She took the smallest box, putting it into my hand. “Last one …”

I opened the box and barked out a laugh. “Is this for you?”

“Nope. All yours,” she giggled. “I’ve told you how much I love when you play with mine. I want to return the favor. This is _your_ nipple ring.”

“A turquoise nipple ring,” I deadpanned.

“Yep,” she chirped. “Tomorrow morning, we’re going to our tattoo parlor to get this done, Edward. No backing out.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I chuckled, kissing her. “You know, you can’t play with the nipple ring while it heals.”

“Um, duh. Edward, I have one,” she snorted. “I had to keep your paws away from my tit while it got better. I know how much you love my boobs.”

“Noted,” I said, reaching behind me and handing her the bag with her turquoise jewelry. “We were on the same wavelength with our presents, too.”

“You got me a turquoise nipple ring?” she laughed.

“Turquoise, yes. Nipple ring? No,” I replied. “There’s no order, but … well, you’ll see.” She beamed, tearing into bag and cooed with each piece she took out. “Do you like it?”

“Absolutely exquisite,” she breathed, putting the bracelet on and waving her hand. “Edward, when did you get this?”

“Today,” I answered. “I spoke with Sal, my Chicago jeweler, and he got these from his brother in Santa Fe.”

“I’m wearing all this in Milwaukee,” she breathed. She kissed me, throwing her arms around my neck. As she did, the lights flickered and the rumble of thunder broke us apart.

“You know what would be better?” I asked, staring at her and tracing the necklace she’d put around her neck. “Making love to you, wearing nothing but this.”

“What are you waiting for, Mr. Cullen?” she purred, getting up from my lap and tugging on my hand.

“Nothing, Mrs. Cullen,” I said, scooping her up and into our bedroom. Placing her on the bed, I hovered over her. “Happy anniversary, my _cantante._ To many more years together.”

“Forever, Edward. I love you,” she breathed, tugging on neck and pulling me to her mouth. As we kissed, the windows lit up with lightning, the earth celebrating our love. It was going to be a great, hot, _sexy_ night.

**A/N: Happy anniversary to them! Lots happened. Some good. Some bad. What do you think about what Dr. Gretl said? Do you agree? About the pregnancy? We’ll see. Anyhow, pictures of the Grand Ole Opry and their presents are on my blog. You can find the link for that on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.**

**Leave me some loving! ;-)**


	20. All Quiet on the Stalker Front

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Okay, we’re not going to ‘fade to black.’ I wanted to do this next lemon in BPOV. Edward’s going to get his nipple pierced. (I want to lick his pierced nipple. Dayum!) Then, we’re also going to go Milwaukee, find out some information about the other person working with James, travel to Minneapolis and Omaha.**

**Chapter Twenty: All Quiet on the Stalker Front**

**EPOV**

“We were on the same wavelength with our presents, too.”

“You got me a turquoise nipple ring?” she laughed.

“Turquoise, yes. Nipple ring? No,” I replied. “There’s no order, but … well, you’ll see.” She beamed, tearing into bag and cooed with each piece she took out. “Do you like it?”

“Absolutely exquisite,” she breathed, putting the bracelet on and waving her hand. “Edward, when did you get this?”

“Today,” I answered. “I spoke with Sal, my Chicago jeweler, and he got these from his brother in Santa Fe.”

“I’m wearing all this in Milwaukee,” she breathed. She kissed me, throwing her arms around my neck. As she did, the lights flickered and the rumble of thunder broke us apart.

“You know what would be better?” I asked, staring at her and tracing the necklace she’d put around her neck. “Making love to you, wearing nothing but this.”

“What are you waiting for, Mr. Cullen?” she purred, getting up from my lap and tugging on my hand.

“Nothing, Mrs. Cullen,” I said, scooping her up and into our bedroom. Placing her on the bed, I hovered over her. “Happy anniversary, my _cantante._ To many more years together.”

“Forever, Edward. I love you,” she breathed, tugging on neck and pulling me to her mouth. As we kissed, the windows lit up with lightning, the earth celebrating our love. It was going to be a great, hot, _sexy_ night.

**BPOV**

Edward’s mouth crashed hungrily against mine. He tasted like champagne and the tiramisu we’d shared prior to opening our anniversary presents. His hands glided along my sides, inching my dress further up my body. I still held fears of being watched, but within the safety of our house, in our bed, those fears dissipated somewhat. My wanton _need_ for my husband was something that overrode my fears. My pussy was throbbing for him, his hands, his lips, his cock.

“Edward,” I panted, pulling away as I gasped for air.

“I love hearing you call for me like that,” he growled against my neck, his tongue sliding along my pulse point and nipping gently at my skin. “Breathy, needy, desperate.”

“Fuck, touch me, baby,” I begged. He smiled against my neck, tugging me up and unzipping my dress. The fabric moved away and Edward’s voice deepened as he saw my bare skin. My nipples were erect, yearning for his lips, his hands. “Are you going to stare or touch?”

“Both,” he said, kissing me deeply and pushing me back. He slid my dress off my body and I was left in nothing but a pair of lacy panties, which were undoubtedly drenched from my arousal. He was still between my legs, his fingertips gliding along the tops of my thighs and up my ribcage. His brace from his fractured knuckle was gone and I stared at his long fingers while the danced along my skin. “There will be no part of you that will not be touched by me, Isabella Marie Cullen. I will taste your skin, sucking on your delicious tits.” _Whimper_. “Then, I’ll move my tongue to your pussy, lapping all your juices until you come all over my face, dousing me with your cum.” _Gasp_. “That’s just the beginning. Before you can even come down from your wet, juicy, messy climax, I’m going to slide my cock into your pussy and make you come again.”

“Edward,” I pleaded.

“And the grand finale, baby, is taking your pretty little bottom. You’re so tight in your ass,” he growled, leaning forward and caging me with his body. “And your orgasms are so deliciously wet, too.”

“Fuck,” I whimpered, rubbing my pussy along his muscular thigh. He noticed and spread my legs, hooking them over his arms. “Edward, please …”

“You will get off, _cantante_ ,” he whispered. “Your orgasms are mine to control. Mine.” He released my legs, standing up and removing all his clothes, except for his black boxer briefs. I arched a brow, seeing his arousal stretch the fabric. “Once these come off, baby, I’ll want to fuck you to oblivion. I want to _savor_ tonight.” Lightning flashed, making his pale skin look ethereal and his tattoos stand out even more. He lay down, his weight covering me and he ran his fingers along the turquoise necklace I still wore. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Bella.”

“So are you,” I said, dragging my fingernails through his sexily disheveled hair. He grinned crookedly, looking so much like the young man I’d met at Emerson University, but the smile turned into something carnal. That reminded me that he had grown up. He dipped his head, capturing my lips and sliding his tongue inside my mouth. I moaned, hooking my legs around his trim hips. He rolled his body, his cock pressing against my lace-covered pussy.

“Fuck, Bella. I can feel how wet you are through my boxers,” he growled against my mouth. “Do you want me?”

“Yes,” I nodded. He released my mouth, standing up and moving us so we were in front of the mirror in our bedroom. “Edward …”

“No, love. You should see the beauty in our love-making. Not the ugliness,” he said, sliding my panties over my hips. I was still standing and I looked back him. “Eyes front and spread your legs, Bella.” I blinked back to the mirror, spreading my legs. Edward’s hands moved along my arms and he cupped my breasts. He captured my eyes in the mirror. “Perfect, made for only _my_ hands.” Pinching my nipples, he made them hard and I leaned back against him. His right hand moved from my breast and down to the curls above my pussy. “I love that you keep this, baby. I can feel how wet you are.”

“That’s because my husband is seducing the shit out of me in front of a mirror,” I panted as he stroked my curls. “Touch me.”

“I’ll touch you when you admit that we are beautiful. That when we make love, it’s beautiful,” he whispered, his lips pressed to my ear. I nodded, rolling my hips so I could feel more of him. “Out loud, Isabella.”

“It’s beautiful. We’re beautiful,” I said, almost crying. “You’re beautiful.”

He chuckled, his smile crooked and perfect as his fingers moved through my folds. “I beg to differ, Bella. You’re the most gorgeous creature I’d ever seen. And the wettest.”

“You’ve made your point, baby,” I whimpered. “More. Please, I need more, Edward.”

“I want you to see that we’re gorgeous together,” he said, kissing my neck and sliding down. He kissed my back before he was on the floor, in front of me. “Sit, Isabella. Spread your legs and look at your swollen wet pussy. Watch as I lick you, tasting every inch of your glistening, needy sex.”

I sat at the edge of the bed, spreading my legs slightly. As I did, the lightning flashed again. Edward shook his head, spreading my legs wide, fully displaying my core. It was bare, pink and dripping with my arousal. He moved and knelt in front of me, his hands massaging my thighs. I tugged on his hair. He shot up, kissing me deeply and two fingers were plunged deep within me. “Yes,” I panted against his soft, sweet mouth.

“So wet. It never ceases to amaze me that I can get you this wet, baby,” he said, curling his fingers inside. He kissed me roughly before moving his mouth between my legs. His tongue flicked my clit and I whimpered in need with the sensation. I leaned back, arching my back and pressing my sex further into his mouth, his hand. He growled against me, his pinky teasing my ass. His mouth sucking on my folds, his fingers inside me and his low, rumbling growl was bringing me closer and closer to an explosive climax.

“Edward, Edward … oh, fuck!” I chanted, rocking my hips against his face.

“Watch, Isabella. Ride my hand, cover my face, give it _all_ to me, baby,” he commanded, burying his tongue between my legs. I watched him as he hungrily devoured, licking and nipping at my dripping pussy. And I was so _turned on_ by it, seeing Edward’s muscular, tattooed back as he pounded his hand inside me. Seeing him, feeling his mouth, hands and hearing how wet I was, it was the trifecta of perfection that made my orgasm practically erupt from me. I fell back, allowing the waves of ecstasy crash over me and Edward encouraging and lengthening my orgasm with his rumbling voice and persistent nuzzling of my pussy.

When I calmed down, Edward held true to his promise and slammed into me with his hardness. “EDWARD!” I barked, looking up at him. His hair was damp, as was his face. _I’d gotten him good_. “Fuck, I love your cock.”

“I love your pussy,” he said, grabbing my knees and keeping my legs spread as he thrust forward, filling _every_ inch of me. My breasts bounced with each harsh movement and Edward watched with rapt attention as he slid effortlessly inside. “I can see your cum glistening on me, baby. You’re still so fucking wet. I wish you could see me slide in and out, seeing my slick dick, covered with your juices, disappear into your body. It’s fucking perfect.”

“Edward,” I whimpered, reaching down and circling my clit with my fingertips. I felt him move inside me and he growled, never taking his eyes off my sex. With a growl, he leaned forward, kissing me hungrily. I could taste my essence on his tongue, mingling with his heady flavor. I reached and cupped his muscular ass, feeling it flex as he filled me.

“Give me another one, baby. I can feel you squeeze my cock,” he said, his hand taking over for me and tightly circling my clit. I kissed him, letting my body feel and enjoy his hardness pressing into me. “That’s it, Bella. Let go.” I panted, rocking with him and feeling a gush of wetness, coating his cock. “Fuck … you’re dripping all over me, Isabella. Making a mess on my dick. I love that. Don’t stop.”

“No, never,” I panted, my body losing all control. I came hard, but Edward was not even close to be done with me. His fingers were massaging my ass and using the lubrication from my messy, juicy orgasm, he easily pressed the head of his cock into my ass. “YESSSSSSSSSSSS!” I came again, arching my back off the bed and grasping the bedspread in the most agonizing pleasure on the planet. Edward was grunting, moving carefully but forcefully. His body was covered with sweat, highlighted by periodic flashes of lightning. “Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck!”

“Bella,” Edward breathed, his fingers sliding into my pussy and curling opposite of his thrusts. “I want you to come again. Together, baby.”

“I’m already there,” I whimpered, holding up my leg and looking down. I couldn’t see his cock, but I watched as his fingers sunk into me. “Harder, Edward. Make me yours.”

“Mine,” he grunted, his thrusts becoming erratic. “You’re mine and you fucking _own_ me.” He roared, his cock twitching inside, filling me with his release. I screamed, my head thrown back as my body convulsed with electric shocks, each one more pleasurable than the next. He stopped his thrusting, his softening erection falling out of me. He fell to his knees, his head pressed to my belly and he panted like he’d run a marathon. “Damn.”

“Hmmmm, yeah,” I giggled. “I think I blacked out, baby.”

“I can’t feel my legs,” he snorted, kissing my stomach and moving up until he was hovering over me. He was still sweaty, but grinning like a buffoon. “Come, love. Let’s get cleaned up. Can you walk?”

“If I say no, will you carry me?” I asked, brushing his soaked hair away from his forehead.

“Probably not. I feel like I have no bones,” he said, helping me to my feet. We stumbled to the shower, taking a long, hot, luxurious shower. Once we were done, I put on Edward’s black button-down and we changed the sheets since I’d made quite a mess with my numerous wet, juicy orgasms. As we settled under the covers, the rain had stopped and I yawned. “Happy anniversary, Mrs. Cullen,” he said, kissing my forehead and cupping my bare ass. “Nice … preparing for round two.”

“Maybe,” I said, kissing the swan over his heart.

“After a nap,” he chuckled sleepily. “I love you, _cantante_.”

“I love you more,” I whispered, snuggling against him. He sighed, leaning his cheek against my head and holding me close, tangling our legs together, as close as possible.

Best. Way. To. Sleep.

Ever.

xx LMDC xx

“I don’t know, Bella,” Edward said, shifting in the driver’s seat of the car. “The mere thought of a needle going through my nipple is kind of freaking me out.”

“You could get a Prince Albert,” I chirped.

“That’s the one in a guy’s dick, right?” Edward gulped. I nodded, giving him a mischievous look. “That would be a fuck no. Hell to the fuck no. Why don’t I get a new tat? Something that’s turquoise colored?”

“Edward, once you’ve healed, it’ll feel amazing. Trust me,” I said. He scowled, parking the car and getting out, tugging on his hat. After a brief nap, Edward woke me up with his tongue and we’d made love again, coming together as the sun rose. Regular sex usually made him very amenable to trying new things. “I’ll hold your hand and give you a blow job.”

“Bella,” he groaned, twining our fingers together. “Behave. I don’t want to walk into Rex’s shop with a huge boner.”

“And you think I’m still dripping from last night?” I said, nibbling on his ear. “Oooh, how about an earring? Cartilage piercing, too?”

“Nipple. That’s it,” he grumped, smacking my ass and tugging me into the shop. “You can get another ear piercing if you want, but I’ll stick with tattoos and this one nipple thing. I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Believe it, Eddie,” Rex laughed. They shook hands. “Bella was in here, choosing the perfect nipple ring for you. You have it?” Edward tossed the box to Rex and he smirked. “Come on. In the back, Rock Star.” We went to the private lounge and Edward shirked out of his t-shirt, handing me his hat. “You want something else, too, Bella? Get a matching nip?”

“I’m good with the one,” I giggled. Edward lay down on the table and sighed. “Which one, baby?”

“Same as you, right one,” he said. “Just below your tattoo.” I nodded, kissing him tenderly and brushing his too-long hair away from his forehead. “I know I need it cut. Alice usually attacks me, but she’s …”

“She’ll be back when we get to Milwaukee,” I said, twining our fingers together as Rex worked efficiently to ready Edward’s nipple piercing. Snapping on gloves, Rex sprayed on some liquid lidocaine. Edward shivered, looking down at his chest. “Some guys are a little more sensitive than others.”

“You didn’t use that shit,” he snorted.

“That’s because I got used to you nibbling on them,” I whispered in his ear. He groaned, kissing me and sliding his tongue between my lips. I snickered, giving Rex a thumb’s up and he pierced Edward’s nipple. He was too engaged in kissing me that he didn’t even notice. He jumped when the gauge when through his skin, but he cupped my head, deepening our kiss. With the snap of the nipple ring, Rex finished and he removed his gloves. “All done, baby.”

“What?” Edward asked, looking down. “Well, shit!”

“Use this to flush out any gunk every couple of hours, soak with salt water twice a day and no sucking this guy for at least a year,” Rex explained. He handed Edward a large container of saline solution along with a smaller bottle of tea tree oil. “I know, Bella, you want to have fun with your boy, but it’s got to heal. At least a year.”

“I remember. It was so tempting and sexy,” Edward pouted. “But, when I got to play … damn.”

“Good things come to those who wait, baby,” I said, handing him his shirt. He sat up, poking just below his nipple and got up, looking in the mirror. “You like it?”

“Oddly enough, I do,” he snickered. “I’m not sure about the bright blue against my pasty ass skin, but I like the piercing.” He put on the t-shirt, keeping it away from his new jewelry. I handed Rex a huge tip since I’d already paid for Edward’s appointment when I got the nipple ring. “Thanks, Rex.”

“Hey, it was all your wife. She totally distracted you, dude. And with lips like hers, I don’t blame you,” Rex guffawed. “Call me if you want the other one done. Good luck with the rest of your tour. I’m planning on seeing you at the Red Rocks with my baby sister. It’s gonna be lit.”

Edward twined our fingers together and we got into our car. Ryan was parked across the street and Greg, who had flown in last night, was in the tattoo parlor. Greg was jogging across the street, sliding into the passenger seat of Ryan’s rental SUV. We pulled away and drove back to our Chicago refuge. Upon our return, Edward dragged me up to our bedroom and thanked me, repeatedly for his anniversary present.

I think he liked it.

A lot.

xx LMDC xx

The next day, we spent the day doing laundry and preparing for the next leg of our tour. This fourth leg was the longest by far, almost a full month of nonstop touring. The time off for our anniversary definitely recharged our batteries, but the constant travel, never sleeping in our own bed and a crazed stalker?

Yeah, not looking forward to that.

Talk about major suckage.

“Is this thing supposed to itch?” Edward asked, rubbing just below his nipple.

“It’ll be sensitive,” I said, swiping his hand away.  “I was able to control that ‘itchy’ feeling with wearing a sports bra most of the time.”

“That’s really not an option, Bella,” Edward deadpanned. “Do you realize the shit I’ll get if I’m wearing a _sports bra?_ My man card would get revoked. Emmett will never stop teasing me. Take the damn thing out.”

“No, Edward. I suggest you use one of the Under-Armor shirts. It’ll give you the support you need and you can keep your stupid man card,” I snorted. I tossed him a black one and he removed his t-shirt, putting the skin-tight shirt on. Edward grimaced, but he stopped pawing his chest. “Better?”

“It’ll do,” he shrugged. “We’re leaving here tomorrow at like ten. We’ll get to Milwaukee a little after noon. Ryan, Greg and the Pandora team are going to go over some changes in the security protocols. Max has been reassigned. He’s back at Pandora headquarters. Ryan said that Max thought we were making a mountain out of a mole hill. Someone new will be coming to join our personal team.”

“Do we need four?” I asked. “Can’t we just use Ryan, Greg and Ainsley? It’s unlikely we’ll separate.”

“They’d rather err on the side of caution,” Edward said, closing his suitcase and putting it near the door of our master suite. “Kellan is vetting them and then passing along the name to Charlie and my dad. No more James’ sneaking through the security background check.”

“I wonder if they found out who is helping James? Or if they’ve found him?” I asked, sitting down on the unmade, messy bed. I picked up a pillow, biting my lip and twisting my wedding ring around my finger.

“No news, _cantante_ ,” he said, sitting across from me. “And as far as I’m concerned, no news is good news. Now, that we know who’s behind all of this, we’re going to be better prepared for whatever James has planned for us.”

“What if he has other help? Like … um, well …” I trailed off.

“Who, baby?”

“My mom?” I hissed.

“Renee is stupid, but I doubt she’d get in contact with James. And after speaking with your dad, she’s in a boatload of trouble. She’s been arrested for something or another in Florida. She tried to steal from Phil, use his credit card. He’s taking her to court and she’s got other worries,” Edward said, with a grim smile.

“No way,” I breathed. “Is she going to jail?”

“Phil is pushing for it. He sent a text to Emmett, not wanting to disturb our anniversary, but Renee is going down,” Edward chuckled, moving us so we were laying on the bed. I snuggled up to him, my fingers dragging along his waist. “I think … after the tour, we should just lay low. I wanted to travel, take you on a real honeymoon, but I just want it to be you and me, Bella.”

“A honeymoon six years in the making,” I giggled.

“We’ll take one. I promise, but with all the craziness, I just want you,” he sighed, leaning his cheek against my ponytail. “Someplace secluded.”

“Our home in New York?” I asked.

“Too cold. I got spoiled by the Los Angeles weather,” he laughed. “But, I don’t want to be there.”

“Why don’t we go to Napa? It’s still in California, but not LA,” I suggested.

“I wanted a house,” he grumped. “Our house. Can’t we move our home in Calabasas and put it in Napa?”

“God, you’re such a snob, Edward,” I teased. “We have three houses. THREE!”

“I know,” he snorted. “We can hide in LA and do weekend trips, frequenting Napa and possibly, maybe scoping out real estate in Napa. Deal?”

“Something small,” I argued.

“Protected,” he countered. “We’re kind of recognizable, baby. With this bullshit with James and his mystery accomplice, I want us to be protected. No one can get in or out without our knowledge.”

“Okay. I understand that,” I said, kissing his scruffy jaw. “I really want to hit the fast forward button and be done because time off sounds so fucking nice. Ever since we signed our record deal, we’ve been on the go nonstop.”

“Me, too. And I want to start making that family. I really want to have a baby with you, Bella,” he whispered, tightening his hold around me. “We’ll make beautiful babies.”

“I have no doubt,” I said, biting my lip. “Wanna practice?”

“Do I have a cock?” he laughed, flipping me so I was underneath him.

And he showed me his prowess with his _cock_ well into the night, making me scream his name each time I came. We crashed hard after that and slept until the alarm went off. I was grouchy and sore from all the sex we’d had, but Edward looked like the cat who ate the canary, strutting around proudly. “You and your super cock,” I grumbled, sipping my coffee.

“You loved it,” he chuckled, loading up the luggage into the SUV.

“I did, but my poor pussy is not loving me or _you_ today,” I said, handing him my computer bag. He laughed, kissing my neck and put the bag into the backseat. I finished my coffee and rinsed out the cup, putting it back into the cabinet. Our cleaning service would empty out the fridge and donate the food to a local food pantry. I did finish checking the windows and bedrooms before swiping my bag and cell phone. I waddled, yes _waddled_ , out to the car because of the pounding my husband gave me, but I wouldn’t have changed it for a moment.

And to see Edward adjust himself subtly and grimace made it worth it. “Not the only one feeling pain today, Mr. Rock Star?” I said, giving him a shitty grin.

“You felt too good, _cantante_ ,” he retorted, smacking my ass. “Let’s get the show on the road. The sooner we get to Milwaukee, the sooner we can get back to Calabasas to make a family, woman.”

“Barefoot and pregnant?” I quipped, getting in the backseat.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Edward said. “But, to see you round with our babies. I can’t fucking wait.”

“You’ve got baby fever, Edward,” I said, leaning against him. Ryan and Greg pulled the car out of the driveway and gave us our privacy, raising a panel that had been installed. He draped an arm over me and his hand cupped my flat tummy. “You really want a baby.”

“More than words can express, Bella,” he replied, his voice wistful. “When I first met you, all I could imagine was building a life with you, marrying you and having babies with you. I knew you were my forever, Bella. You were my first _true_ love. My only love. My girlfriend, then fiancée, and finally my wife. The one thing that’s missing is mother to our children. I want that. And I know you want that, too. You wouldn’t have stopped your Depo shot if you …”

I stopped him, kissing him sweetly. “I do want a family, Edward and I can’t wait to take that next step with you,” I murmured. “One step at a time, though.”

“And we can have fun practicing,” he growled, kissing my temple.

“But not tonight. Give my poon a chance to recuperate,” I laughed. He joined me and we pulled out his tablet, watching a movie on the drive up to the hotel we were staying at in Milwaukee. Once we arrived, we met up with Jasper and Nia. They had already checked in and led us up to our room. Jasper wished us a happy anniversary, hugging me tightly but Nia still hung back. I walked over to her and she huddled back. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah,” she whispered.

“Edward, Nia and I are going to go for a chat,” I said.

“Go to our suite, Bells,” Jasper said. “Don’t go anywhere alone.”

We nodded and went to Jasper and Nia’s suite. “Do you want something to drink?” she asked. I shook my head. She went to the minibar and poured herself a shot, downing it quickly and taking another shot immediately afterward.

“Nia, I want to apologize,” I said. “I know that you were just being funny … that day …” She shot me a look, pouring another drink. “Nia, stop. I want you to be sober so we can talk. Really talk.”

“I know I fucked up, Bells,” she grumbled. “You had just dealt with that bullshit with the photos and I ran my mouth. I never meant to hurt you. You’re so sweet and you don’t deserve any of this bullshit.”

“And you didn’t deserve my ire,” I murmured, shooting up and hugging her. “I’m so sorry that I snapped at you and blamed you for what happened. I was just completely overwhelmed about everything. My privacy had been breached. But, I was too sensitive. I should have _never_ yelled at you. Up until that point, we were fucking like porn stars.”

“I wish my sex life is as healthy as yours,” Nia laughed, pulling back and wiping her cheeks. “And if I had a man like Edward, I’d ride that. Often.”

“You’ve got Jasper,” I said, smirking. “He’s pretty damned handsome and sweet and sexy, in his lazy, laid-back way.”

“And he’s great in bed,” Nia giggled. “But, he’s pretty conservative. We have fun and I want to experiment. He’s willing but … sorry. You probably don’t know want to know this.”

“Not really. I mean, Jasper is like another brother to me. I don’t want to know about Jasper’s bedroom predilections,” I snorted.

“True,” Nia said, smirking. “I am sorry about making that comment. It was in poor judgment. You and Edward are … I love you guys, as much as I love Kellan. Thank you for apologizing and I’m still so sorry for hurting you.” She sat down, curling up and tugging at her short, but curly hair. I sat down next to her, hugging her and we did what girls did best, which was cry.

Jasper walked in on us and he arched a brow. “Really? You both look like Rudolph with the red noses.”

“Shut up, Jasper,” Nia laughed, wiping her cheeks. “We’re bonding the way know best … through snot and sniffles.”

“As much as I think I understand women, the more I get confused,” he laughed. “Agent Torres is here and he wants to meet with everyone. They’ve got the DNA back.”

“Shit,” I spat, getting up and wavering. Jasper caught me before I stumbled. “Thanks. Dizzy spell.”

“Come on, ladies,” he said, twining his fingers with both me and Nia, helping us to Kellan’s suite.

Once there, I was tackled by Alice and she looked so much better, her eyes glittering and her smile radiant. I hugged her back, happy for my best friend to be back. Being on the road without her was definitely weird. “I missed you, Bellsy!” she breathed. “You look so good. That break did a world of good.”

“And it was much needed,” I said, ruffling her hair.

Our reunion was cut short by the imposing presence of Agent Torres and Jared, along with some other FBI suits. I hugged my best friend and sister, walking over to Edward and sitting on his lap. He held me tightly, my body pressed tightly to his. “Everything okay with you and Nia?” he whispered, staring into my eyes.

“Yeah. We kissed and made up,” I said, leaning my cheek against his shoulder.

“Really kissed?” Jasper asked, waggling his brows.

“You’re an ass, Jas,” Nia snorted, smacking his head. “Quit being a perv.”

“He’s a guy. It’s in his DNA,” Alice giggled, her arms sliding around Kellan’s waist. “Right, baby?”

“Sadly, yes,” he shrugged, kissing her forehead. “Now, Jared, Agent Torres, this can’t be good news if you’ve got all these suits.”

“It’s news,” Agent Torres said, sighing heavily. “As you know, we determined the identity of your stalker as James Loften. We served a search warrant and this guy was fucking obsessed with both of you and not obsessed as in romantically obsessed. He’s bitter, pissed off and wants you both to suffer.”

“We’re aware,” Edward growled. “He’s got an accomplice, though. Who’s that? Kellan said that you have a match from the DNA.”

“Not a complete match. A familial match,” Agent Torres explained. “The DNA matched a man who is currently incarcerated in Sing-Sing for sexual assault.” He pulled out a tablet. “Look through these photos and see if you recognize anyone.”

I took the tablet, scrolling through the photos and stopping on the picture of the red-headed demon who’d tried to force herself on my Edward back when we were in college. “Her,” I said. “She was a teacher’s assistant at Emerson. She was dismissed from the university and was arrested for attacking Edward.”

“She was arrested, but pled down to a misdemeanor for what she did to Edward. Subsequently, her DNA was never put into the system,” Agent Torres said. “Victoria St. Peters …”

“So, we know who’s responsible for this. What’s the next step?” Edward asked, his voice quietly calm, but his anger rolling off him in waves.

“Working collaboratively with the Pandora team, trying to find both James and Victoria and arresting them,” Agent Torres explained. He reached into his briefcase, handing us a thick packet of paper. “This is a restraining order for both of them. We pushed it through and it’s good nationwide. We’ve informed the remaining cities on your tour about their nefarious activities. Pictures of the suspects, their behaviors and arrest warrants have been issued. We’ve got your back.”

“Do you?” Edward asked, narrowing his eyes behind his glasses. “Yes, things have been _quiet_ for the time being, but they’re still out there.”

“We’re looking for them. However, they’re using aliases, some of which we don’t know,” Agent Torres said. “It’s like looking for a needle in an enormous haystack.”

“Not. Fucking. Helping,” Edward sneered, his hands in rigid claws. His right hand straining in the brace.

“Baby, calm down,” I whispered, forcing him to look at me. “You can’t afford to break your other hand.”

“It’s the god-damned truth, Bella,” he said, crushing me to his chest. He whimpered. “Ouch.”

“Piercing?” I asked. He nodded, moving me so I was pressing on his nipple.

“Mr. Cullen, we’re going to do everything in our power to end this before it escalates any further,” Agent Torres said. “However, what you can do is be informed of our progress and to keep your eyes peeled for either James or Victoria.”

“Agent Torres has given us their photos and their known aliases,” Ryan explained. “We will work overtime to make sure you’re safe. And that means that you’re not going anywhere unattended. You’ll always have protection. _Everyone._ ” He shot a look to Nia, Kellan and Alice. “Edward and Bella are obviously the targets of their ire, but in order to get what they want, they may go for those who are closest to you.”

“What about our families?” Alice asked.

“Local police departments have been made aware,” Agent Torres explained. “We’ve got someone for all of your immediate families.”

“Rosalie, too?” Emmett asked. “I know we’re divorced, but she knew of James and Victoria.”

“We’ll add her to the list,” Agent Torres nodded. He jotted a few things down and stood up. He shook hands with Kellan and Jared before taking his small army of suits out of the suite.

“Jared, is everything okay?” Kellan asked once Agent Torres left.

“Well, in regard to ticket sales and publicity from the concerts, things are great. However, the cost of the extra security is cutting into our bottom line. Each day we have the Pandora team, it’s a ton of money that’s lost for both you and Twilight Records,” Jared shrugged.

“So, our safety is not as important as your paycheck?” I snapped.

“No, Bella. I don’t mean …” Jared said, his face flushing. “Shit … I don’t want to negate what’s going on with you and the real threat you’re dealing with. We had a security team set up for this tour as soon as the dates were finalized, but not to this extent. We’ll keep paying it and making sure that you get the coverage you need.”

“But, it’ll hit _our_ portions of the profits from the tour,” Jasper sneered. “You think we want any of this? Fuck no!”

“Jared, honestly, this is beyond their control and you talking about this is in real poor taste,” Kellan said, his brow arched. “Adele will be hearing about this. If your acts don’t feel safe, they don’t perform. And that will _definitely_ dig into your profit margin.” Jared paled, looking a sickly gray. “Now, I want to meet with _my_ performers to discuss some changes in security measures. Measures that Twilight will be paying for and not taking away from my client’s cut. Don’t fuck with me, Jared. I love you like a brother, but you’re out of line. Get out.” He marched over to the door and opened it up. Jared scrambled out, barely out the door when Kellan slammed it in his face. “Nia, email Adele and tell her about his mouth.”

“Already on it, Kellan,” she said, typing on her tablet.

“Now, tomorrow, you have a dress rehearsal for the concert,” Kellan explained. “You’ve been off for a week, probably rusty and I want to make sure that you guys are ready for the show tomorrow night. We’d also like you guys to change up the set list. Substitute some newer pieces with your older work. This is _not_ coming from me, but from Twilight. If you could change the set list, mainly the middle acts and email me and Lou the changes, we can make sure that light and pyrotechnics are changed appropriately.”

“Why do they want us to change?” Emmett asked.

“Reading reviews from our last few performances. They were a bit lackluster. With the drama in realm of your lives, that makes sense, but I’m appeasing the rock gods,” Kellan explained. “If you infuse some new material, it may reinvigorate your concert. Don’t stress out. Flip flop a few songs and incorporate some other songs from your two albums and the upcoming album of B-sides.”

“We’ll come up with something,” Edward said, scrubbing his face. “We just chose the songs we did because they flowed well together, were in different keys and …”

“I know! I know,” Kellan chuckled. “Don’t stress out or overthink anything, guys.” He got up and picked up his tablet, offering a hand to Alice. “We’ll leave you to it. Dinner at the restaurant’s private room at seven.”

“Is this an order?” I asked.

“Yes,” Kellan smirked. “Our family has been separated. We need to reconnect as a band and as a family.” He winked, leaving us to work on reworking our set list.

As per Kellan’s request, we didn’t stress out and changed out six songs, reworking the third and fourth acts. We kept the opening and closing the same since we knew what our audience wanted. After we changed the set list, we sent that to Lou and Kellan. Then, we went to our rooms to get ready for the dinner together as a band.

The next day, we had a dress rehearsal with our new set list and despite our grumblings, the new combination of songs reinvigorated our performance, as predicted. I couldn’t wait to show our fans the changes. Alice and Nia worked with me to make sure my look was on point, with straight sleek hair and a sexy dress for the performance. When I was ready, we prayed with The Cliffhangers, wishing them luck. Edward looked at me like I was sex incarnate and I felt empowered and in control. “You like, baby?”

“You have no idea, _cantante_ ,” he whispered. “I’m going to be grateful that my guitar hides my raging boner.”

“Ugh, you guys are back to being nauseating,” Jasper grumbled, shooting us a wry grin. “It’s good to have you both back and smiling and flirting and acting like porn stars.”

“Being away from the crazy allowed us to regain some of the control we’d lost,” Edward said, sliding his arm around my waist. He kissed my temple. “Love you, baby.”

“Love you, too,” I smiled.

After a private prayer, we went up to the stage at the Milwaukee Panther Arena. Twenty minutes later, we were in front of our fans, feeding off their energy and positive vibes. It was the best performance we’d had since our show in Memphis. When we finished our encore, I felt absolutely amazing and from the smiles of Edward, Emmett and Jasper, they were in agreement. We had an after party with some fans, who were vetted by Pandora and the local police, and it was the most relaxed I’d been since Miami.

When we got back from our performance, Edward took his time and removed my sexy dress. We showered together and made love slowly, reverently until the sun came up.

Our concert in Minneapolis, in the Target Center, along with a side trip to the Children’s Center at Mayo Clinic, was fantastic and well-received. The new set list helped us with feeling stagnant. Additionally, we hadn’t heard anything about James or Victoria. Edward believed that no news was good news. I was hesitant, but I felt the same. If we hadn’t heard anything, they were not actively following us. However, it would probably be best that they were both _caught_ , but no news was the best news, in retrospect.

My husband is quite smart, you know?

When we arrived at Omaha, we did an impromptu acoustic set at a small, local theater. Kellan had worked with a local alternative radio station to set up for an invitation-only performance, for roughly two hundred fans. He did this during our break and it was intimate, special and sensual, since the fans were all couples. We even had a woman propose to her long-time girlfriend, using “La Cantante” as her song as she got down on one knee to give her the ring. The squeal of her new fiancée was deafening and we called them up to the stage. I serenaded them, using the song I’d written for Edward and they were so lost in their own little love bubble.

The following day, we performed at the Ralston Arena and our string of phenomenal performances continued. The crowds were receptive and it was how I envisioned our tour being, with no major drama and just having fun with my family, singing, performing and laughing. However, in the back of my mind, I knew that this was the calm before the storm. All was quiet in the ‘stalker front,’ but for how long?

I prayed that this came to a quiet end before it escalated into something far more dangerous. I could handle the threats, the photos, but losing anyone in our Breaking Midnight family? I don’t know if I could cope with that.

 _Think positively, Cullen. Everything will work out_ …

I hope so.

**A/N: Pictures from Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Omaha are on my blog. We’re at the end of August at this point and heading to America’s heartland … the plains states! I’m going to warn you … there will be drama coming up in the upcoming chapter. The drama will be in Edward and Bella’s point of view. We’re going to split the chapter.**

**Leave me some loving! Thanks for reading! :-)**

 


	21. America's Heartland

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**We’re at the end of August at this point and heading to America’s heartland … the plains states! I’m going to warn you … there will be drama coming up in the upcoming chapter. The drama will be in Edward and Bella’s point of view. We’re going to split the chapter.**

**Chapter Twenty-One: America’s Heartland**

**EPOV**

The Plains States … the drive is so fucking _boring_. You see plains of corn, wheat and perhaps, soy. It all looked the fucking same. I was going bat shit crazy with sheer boredom of the damned drive. Added to the boredom was the absolute silence from James and his cray-cray accomplice, Victoria. So, I was as nervous as a whore in church, on top of being bored out of my god damned mind.

“Edward, stop squirming,” Bella said, her head on my lap. She was trying to nap since looking out the window, overlooking the endless plains of grain, made her seasick.

“Sorry, beautiful,” I murmured, picking up my book and trying to focus on the words on the page. Don’t get me wrong, our performances while in America’s Heartland had been fucking awesome! The crowds were receptive, loud and excited and we felt so much better with each show. It was just the hours on the bus, watching the corn grow, was … _ugh!_

“Edward,” Bella growled, sitting up. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were bleary. “You are so antsy. What’s up?”

“Nothing! Maybe I’m like you. I’m getting seasick with all of the grain,” I snorted. “Do you want to lie down in the back?”

“Yeah. My pillow won’t move around so much,” Bella deadpanned, swiping her glasses from the table and moving slowly to the rear of the bus. I followed her and she crashed the rest of the ride to Wichita, while I managed to get lost in my novel.

Our performances in Wichita and Kansas City were nothing short of stellar. Kellan was raving at how fantastic we sounded, from our harmonies, to how we looked to the sexy interaction between me and my wife. _Now, that’s a total hardship._ The way he bounced around, he looked like Tigger from _Winnie, The Pooh_. It reminded me of our early performances at Eclipse near the campus of Emerson University.

After our show in Kansas City, Kellan wanted to celebrate the string of fantastic performances. “It’s all arranged. We’re going to Mosaic Ultra Lounge,” he said, tugging on his black suit coat. He was dressed impeccably, probably thanks to Alice’s meddling. “We’ve been living like moles. We need to let loose.”

“Agreed,” Jasper said, slinging his arm over Nia’s shoulder.

“After you shower,” Nia snorted, wiggling away from him. “You’re drenched.”

“The air wasn’t working properly,” Bella said, her hair twisted up into some messy bun. “Meet in the lobby in an hour?” Nodding, we went up to our hotel rooms. To save time, Bella and I took a shared shower. She blew dry her hair and tossed it back into a funky, messy bun, with curls surrounding her face. She put on a pair of black shorts with a halter top and strappy sandals. She handed me her ID and some cash. I wore a pair of black jeans and button-down shirt. One of my contacts had ripped during the performance and I needed new ones, so had to wear my glasses.

Down in the lobby, we got into a stretch limo that Kellan had gotten for us. It drove us to the Missouri side of Kansas City, to the chic club, Mosaic. “There’s a VIP room at our disposal. The Pandora team has scoped it out and we’re in the clear.”

“For this VIP room, can anyone get in?” Emmett asked. “Or is it just us?”

“A few local bigwigs will be there, but we’re the guests of honor,” Kellan snorted. “It’ll be fun. Drink, let loose and relax.”

“You think we don’t know how to party?” Jasper scoffed. “We’re rock stars!”

“Be responsible, though. I don’t want to bail anyone out,” Kellan said, rolling his eyes and then, glaring at Emmett.

“I haven’t had a drink since Montreal!” Emmett wailed, holding up his hands. “And I’ve learned my lesson. I don’t want to ruin what I’ve got with you guys. You’re my family. I love you all and I am so appreciative that you are supporting me, especially now.”

“And no funny business in public,” Kellan quipped, winking at Bella and me.

“At the risk of public mortification? Nope, nope, nope,” Bella sang. “Making out and grinding sounds like fun, but yeah … no possibilities of fornication in a crowded club.”

“Damn it,” I laughed. “There goes my plan for tonight.” Bella smacked me, rolling her eyes. “We can imitate fornication on the dance floor.”

“You’re an ass,” Bella giggled.

“You’re just now figuring this out?” Alice quipped. “You’ve been with him for over seven years. I knew that from the first moment I saw him.”

“Bite me, Mary Alice,” I snorted, flicking her off.

“Children,” Kellan grumbled. “Behave. Alice, don’t teased my talent. Edward, be nice to your sister and _my_ girlfriend.” We both scowled at each other, doing the _mature_ thing and sticking our tongues out at one another. Kellan rolled his eyes as the limo came to a stop behind the club. We didn’t go in the front door because it would have caused a riot. We slid inside through the offices, going directly up to the private VIP lounge. In there, we’re greeted by the owner and he arranged for bottle service for our table. Emmett immediately got a Coke, but sighed when we all raised our shot glasses.

Bella only had one sip and she wrinkled her nose. “I’m going to stick with my brother and stay sober. The smell of the booze is … unsettling,” she murmured.

“You okay, _cantante?_ ” I asked.

“I’m fine. I just have no desire to puke this shit back up,” she snickered, handing me her drink.

“Let’s dance, Bells,” Alice squealed, tugging my wife to the dance floor. Nia joined them and they began moving to whatever techno-remix was playing over the speakers. I downed Bella’s shot and watched her laugh, move and have fun with the girls.

“How have you been, Ed?” Emmett asked. He was idly spinning the ice in his glass. “I mean, with this whole stalker thing?”

“Isn’t that a little heavy for a night at a club?” I teased. He punched me in bicep. _Owwww … bear, you’ve got too much muscle._ I scowled, rubbing my arm.

“Sorry, man. Seriously, though. You and Isabelly seem to be _back to normal_ ,” he quipped, waggling his brows.

“Emmett, I swear to God …” I growled. “One comment about our sex life and you will be walking out of here with a limp, asshat.”

“Okay, don’t kick my ass,” Emmett said, putting his drink down. “Seeing Bella fall apart … that night? Yeah, it was awful. I was terrified that it would cause this huge rift between the two of you. I don’t want my sister to go through the pain of a divorce.”

“I’m never divorcing Bella. I can promise you that,” I said, my voice solemn.

“I made that promise to Rosie and you saw how that worked out,” Emmett retorted.

“Not to sound like a douche, but who’s fault is that?” I asked.

“Mine,” Emmett sighed. He licked his lips and looked over to the corner. Ainsley and Greg were standing there, overlooking the lounge. “I’ve been talking to Ainsley.”

“From Pandora?”

“Yeah. I mean, we’ve been chatting and we’re friendly, but there’s been some _flirting_ go on between us,” Emmett hissed, his eyes wide. “And I kind of like it.”

“From what Bella’s told me, Ainsley’s been burned in the past. Cheating, Em,” I warned.

“She told me and she said that I was a colossal douchetard to Rosie,” he laughed humorlessly. “But, she said that everyone can be redeemed. I’m walking that line toward redemption, Eddie.” He looked at me and sighed. “I know I’m not ready for any sort of relationship, but I like hanging out with Ainsley.”

“Take it a day at a time, Emmett,” I smiled. He nodded, popping in a piece of ice and munching on it. “Are we done with the interrogation? The heavy?”

“Yeah. I just needed to talk to someone,” he shrugged. “And Bella has enough on her plate …”

“And I don’t?” I quipped.

“True,” Emmett said, shooting me a smirk. “But, you never did answer my question. Are you guys okay with everything that’s going on?”

“We’re _surviving_. Everything is up in the air and we don’t know where James and Victoria are,” I shrugged. “We could choose to let the fear force us into hiding, or face it, head on. We’re choosing the latter. That doesn’t mean that we’re not struggling. We fear that we’re being watched or something is going to happen to someone in our _family_. This band, we’re more just friends, we are a family. Bella’s terrified of losing someone. Hell, so am I.”

“We’re all on your side, Edward,” Emmett said, clasping my shoulder.

“I know,” I nodded. “I’m done with the heavy. I’m going to go over to my wife and pretend to fuck her on the dance floor.”

“She’s still my sister,” Emmett groaned. “I don’t need to see that.”

“Too bad, soooooo sad,” I sang, moving away from my seat and weaving onto the dance floor. I slid behind Bella and rolled my hips. She turned, smiling at me happily, kissing me hungrily and we lost ourselves to the music and to the rowdiness of the club. It was nice to just be young adults, having fun with their friends. We were not the band, Breaking Midnight. We were not dealing with two psycho stalkers. We were just out, having a good time and being free.

Were we recognized? Yes, and we graciously took photos with our fans. But, for the most part, we were able to dance, drink and have fun with each other.

When we got back to the hotel, Bella and I continued our fun of the naked variety. We crashed shortly before dawn and grumbled when the alarm went off a few hours later. We had a three and half hour drive to Wichita before we were performing an acoustic set at some outdoor festival. However, the threat of nasty weather was putting the possibility of canceling the festival. The entire area was blanketed in a tornado watch.

“This sky is fucking creepy,” Jasper said, his nose wrinkled as we looked out the window of our hotel. I was standing with him, looking at the weird green sky. Bella was monitoring the Weather Channel with Kellan and Alice. Jim Cantore was talking about the probabilities of tornadoes in the Wichita area and doing some weird tribal dance.

And we all know that if Jim Cantore shows up, it’s the next coming of the apocalypse. He was in New York when we had Snowmaggedon.

Suffice it to say, I don’t think the outdoor festival was happening.

“Shit,” Bella hissed.

“What?” I asked, moving away from the window.

“The tornado watch has turned into a warning,” she said. “There’s a super cell heading this way.” She blinked up at me and her eyes were terrified. “What do we do?”

“You move away from the window and get to the lowest level,” Jasper answered. “If that’s not possible, to the bathroom.” Bella looked at him, her brow arched. “I grew up in Texas, woman! Heart of tornado alley.” We all hunkered down, watching the television. The tornado warning for the county stayed in effect for an hour or so, but the hotel was not in any sort of danger. We did see, in the distance, the dark cloud and it was beyond ominous.

However, the weather pattern was still erratic and the organizers for the outdoor festival contacted Kellan and informed him that festivities were cancelled. We were happy about the cancellation since the weather obviously rattled us. Bella and I were also tired from our sexual Olympics from the night previous. By the time we went to bed, we’d had a couple other close calls with super cells and it was quite a show with the lightning cracking, splintering across the skies.

The next day, we performed on a morning radio show and spent time interacting with the morning show hosts. When we were done, we went back to the hotel and got ready for the concert. Bella, Alice and Nia went to a local spa for some girly bonding. Ainsley was going with them and Greg was acting as the driver. With Ryan, Kellan and the rest of the guys, we went to the Intrust Bank Arena and checked the stage. There was something wonky with the set-up. The ceilings were not as high as other arenas and we had to rework the layout.

“It looks weird,” Emmett said, looking at the LED screens. “Off-centered.”

“The stage is off-centered,” Kellan replied. “Even when set up the right way.” Cocking his head, he wrinkled his nose and sighed. “But, you’re right.” He walked over to Lou, who was working with some of the crew to set up the microphones. “Lou, is there something weird with the screens?”

“A little,” he snorted, handing the cord to one of his assistants. “It was the only way to get them to fit. However, it works and it looks good. We ran the concert program.” He picked up his walkie. “Start the concert, Hank.” The music began and the screens lit up. The screens were not obscured and it worked. “See?” Lou yelled.

Kellan held up his thumb. Lou barked in his walkie and the music stop, the screens darkening. “Okay, not as stressed out about that. How about the rest of the stage? Everything make it from Kansas City okay?”

“Yeah. No problems at all. Things are going smoothly. Much more smoothly now that Jimmy guy is gone,” Lou shuddered. “He was fucking creepy.” He blinked over to us and arched a bushy brow. “Ryan told me about what he was and it made me sick that we accepted him into our roadie family.”

“Did you have any inclination that he was …?” I trailed off.

“No. Never. He was a hard worker, for the most part. He’d disappear when you needed him, but he did the tasks we asked him to,” Lou shrugged. “He bugged out of here, claiming some family emergency and then Ryan said that Jimmy is the guy responsible for all of your heartache. I’m so sorry, Edward. If I’d known …”

“Who hired your team, Lou?” I asked.

“The crew chiefs, I personally chose,” Lou explained.  “I left them to choose their crews. Jimmy or James or whoever the fuck he is, was hired by the stage crew chief, Ray.”

“I thought you were the stage crew chief,” Emmett said.

“I’m the stage manager. I’m in charge of this motley crew,” Lou laughed. “Ray, is my stage crew guy. Hank is lights. Shelly is in charge of sound. Those were my main crews. In those, they had smaller teams based on the needs of their crew.”

“So, Ray hired Jimmy … what crew did he work on?” Jasper asked.

“He was on the stage crew, but moved from team to team,” Lou said, obviously pissed at Ray’s choice. “He may have been the one responsible for those accidents on the set.”

“Ray? Or Jimmy?” I growled.

“Jimmy. After the accidents, Ray reassigned people and the accidents stopped,” Lou sighed, scrubbing his wrinkled face. “But, then again, Jimmy was placed on a team with very little ‘heavy lifting.’ I feel like a part of this is my fault. If we had been more stringent with our hiring practices …”

“Lou, it’s not your fault. James was a fucking psycho even when we were in college,” I explained. Lou still scowled. I walked over to the portly stage manager. “I don’t blame you. Nor do I blame Ray. How would you know that James or Jimmy or whatever the fuck his name was the guy responsible for all this bull shit.”

“I know, I know,” Lou sighed. “I still feel awful about it. You guys are too good to deal with it. Out of the bands I’ve worked with, Breaking Midnight is one of the most professional and the most gifted groups. You guys give so much in each performance and so much back to your fans. Some bands have some insane riders and ridiculous expectations of their crews. You guys treat like we’re a part of your family and not underlings.”

“Bands have treated you guys that way?” Emmett asked. “If it weren’t for you, we’d be performing in the dark, with no lights or stage. You’re just as important, if not _more_ so than we are. Thank you for everything you do.”

“Agreed, Lou,” I nodded. “When this is all done, I want to take you and your team out for dinner as a small token of my appreciation. I know it’s not a lot, but …”

“That would be more than anyone else has done, Edward,” Lou smirked. “I look forward to having dinner with you and your gorgeous wife. She’s such a beautiful soul. Reminds me of my daughter. All sweet and talented, but doesn’t let anything hold her down.”

“She is that,” I laughed. “But, she has a vulnerability, too.”

“I can see that. Those few performances prior to your anniversary, she was just so downtrodden,” Lou frowned. “She’s bounced back, though. I’m glad. Bella deserves all the good in the world. You all do.” His walkie chirped. “Anyway, I have to do some final checks with some lights that have gone out. See you for sound check in a little bit.” He shook our hands and darted away, barking into his headset. We checked on stage, making sure our instruments were set up and things were tuned appropriately. Initially, I was uncomfortable with other people touching my guitars, but after our first few shows on tour during our first college tour, I learned that I needed the time focus my thoughts on performing and not on worrying about my guitar, my instruments.

We left the arena and got some lunch at a local dive, enjoying barbeque before making our way back to the hotel. I showered, shaved and got ready in my clothes for tonight’s show. Bella came back as I was checking my email. Her hair was sleek and straight, with her makeup already applied. “Wow, baby! You look great!”

“Thanks,” she said, kissing my cheek. “The masseuses we had were running late and we got complimentary blow outs and makeup application. So, one less thing to worry about.” She went into the bathroom. She puttered in there, coming out in a pair of sexy lingerie. Her bra and panties were black lace with the merest hint of bright pink. I whimpered. “Don’t even think about it, Edward Anthony. We’re running late.”

“Can I help it if my wife is fucking hot?” I growled, standing behind her and running my hands along her waist, and sliding them around her tiny body.

“Edward, stop,” she giggled, wriggling out of my arms and pressing her index finger to my nose. “I love you and making love to you sounds amazing, but we don’t have time. We have to be at the arena in a half hour.”

“Not even a quickie?” I smirked, waggling my brows.

“I don’t want a _quickie_ ,” she purred, smacking my ass. She kissed me swiftly, swiping a pair of black shorts with a hot pink sequined tank top. She added her the turquoise jewelry I’d gotten her for our anniversary and slid on a pair black wedges. “When we get back, you’re going to enjoy more than a quickie, Edward. Come on.”

We went down to the SUV and rode to the Intrust Arena. The performance went well. There were a few snafus with the lights, but that was to be expected with the issues with the LED screens. We left the arena after the show and Bella fulfilled her promised of more than just a quickie. She _blew_ my mind with her oral skills in our shower and I made her writhe with my own tongue. We made love, coming together as another storm rolled through Wichita, illuminating our hotel room with the jagged lightning. Panting heavily, we watched the cosmic lightshow and eventually drifted off as the ran hit the glass window.

xx LMDC xx

**BPOV**

We drove to Oklahoma City. The mood was somber since Jasper was adamant on visiting the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. His mother’s brother worked in that building and was lost during the bombing. However, the somber mood is hiding something else. There was something churning in my gut. Edward noticed it and he was being overbearingly protective.

I didn’t mind it, honestly. I craved his touch.

“Do you feel off today?” Edward whispered as we unloaded our dirty laundry into bags for the laundry service to clean. “Like something _bad_ is going to happen?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “It’s been too quiet, Edward.”

“We weren’t quiet last night,” he quipped, arching a brow.

“No, we weren’t and you know that’s _not_ what I mean,” I snorted.

“Just stating facts,” he said, handing the bag of dirty laundry to the employee at the door. He handed him a hefty tip. “Discretion, please.” The young woman nodded, her eyes wide. She took the tip, along with the bag and darted away.

“Why did you freak her out?” I asked.

“A pair of my boxers were missing after the last time we sent our laundry away. I don’t know if I should be flattered or squicked out,” he shuddered.

“I’d probably be squicked out,” I replied, wrinkling my nose. I rubbed my eyes and I grumbled. I hadn’t been able to wear my contacts longer than a concert. I think I need a new pair, but I need to make an eye appointment. I slid on my glasses and sighed.

“We should have gone to get our eyes tested while we were in Chicago,” Edward laughed, putting on his own glasses. “I’m out of contact lenses.”

“At least yours a disposable. Mine are a bit more challenging,” I muttered. “And you can at least _see_ without your glasses. I’m as blind as a bat.” He walked over to me, kissing my forehead. “Maybe in Dallas, I can have my eyes looked at. I’ll talk to Alice to see if she can make it happen.”

“Now, we’re going out for dinner before we go to the memorial. Jasper said it’s more touching at night since the memorial has lights or something,” Edward said. We twined our fingers together and went downstairs, meeting our friends, family down in the lobby. We went to a local steak house. We ate dinner and even though we were trying to bond and have fun, there was a tension in the air.

It was more than just sadness for Jasper’s uncle.

It was something related to James or Victoria … and it scared the shit out of me.

But, I couldn’t be sure. It may just be my mind playing tricks on me. I prayed that was it.

After dinner, we drove to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. We were all quiet and Jasper walked directly to lit chair in the field. He ran his fingers along his uncle’s name and murmured something. We walked among the chairs and paid our respects. Jasper told us about his uncle, who was his mom’s older brother. He worked for the government and was in the building for some official business when the building was attacked.

We stayed at the memorial until it closed, just after the sun had set. We went to a local bar and toasted Willard Augustine, Jasper’s uncle, who had died just as Jasper after entered the world.

The next day, we lazed around the hotel. Alice called my eye doctor and she agreed to meet us in Dallas to give me an eye exam. Her cousin had an office in the downtown area and could use his equipment to give me my exam. I forced my gunky contacts into my eyes just prior to the concert and we rode the Chesapeake Energy Center. The concert was a bit rocky and I think a lot of had to do with my fears of whatever was hanging over us.

During the encore, Lou darted from his usual location on stage left. I caught Edward’s eyes and his fingers stumbled over his fretboard as he played “Decode.” Something was up and it was not good. We continued our encore and when we finished the show, the lights went dark. When we got off stage, Ryan and Greg were waiting for us. Their eyes were swirling with anger and their faces were set in grim frowns. “What is it?” Edward growled.

“Come with us,” Ryan muttered.

“What is it?!” Edward yelled, his voice sore from the concert and he grabbed Ryan’s arm. “Tell me!”

“Another delivery,” Ryan spat.

I stumbled. Emmett caught me and held me to his sweaty chest. “Emmett … how?”

“I don’t know, Isabelly,” he said. “But, we’ll keep you safe.”

Edward must have heard me whimpering to Emmett. He took my hand and held me in his arms as we wandered through the maze of tunnels underneath the arena. We stopped in the green room, which was next to our dressing room. The cops were already in there. The door was marked with the crime tape. “Someone tell me what the fuck is going on!”

“You need to calm down,” Kellan said, tugging on Edward’s arm.

“Calm?! There’s another fucking delivery! Another one, even AFTER we told the FBI and local police. How the fuck did they get past security?” Edward fumed, his eyes flashing with anger and fear.

“We’re looking at that,” Ryan muttered. “From the security feeds, it looks like it was a security guard or someone dressed _like_ a security guard that made their way down to the dressing room.”

“Did you catch a glimpse of their face?” I whispered.

“Covered by a hat,” Greg said, giving me a sympathetic smile. “We don’t know how …”

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is the delivery,” Ryan hissed. “The cops are examining it, but it’s gruesome.”

“I don’t know understand?” Jasper muttered. “How was the delivery gruesome?”

“Burnt roses and a picture,” Ryan choked out.

“A picture?” I squeaked. “It’s of someone … who?”

“The phone’s ringing,” said one of the cops. He was holding up disposable cell phone. “Unknown number.”

“Pick it up,” barked a detective. The cop blinked and the detective rolled his eyes, punching the call button. “Hello?” He sighed, pressing another button and a distorted voice filtered into the green room.

“Edward Cullen?” said the robotic voice.

“What?” Edward spat. “I’m here, monster.”

“So testy,” the voice chuckled.

“Quit the bull shit, James,” Edward sneered. “What do you want?”

“Did you see my present for you and your _blushing_ bride?” James asked. His voice was still disguised, but we could tell he was enjoying this. “I see that your propensity for public sex hasn’t dwindled. Those pictures … I bet if I had that pussy, I’d want to fuck it as often as you do.”

“Fucker! You don’t get to say anything about her,” Edward yelled. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Temper, temper,” he sang.

“Stop baiting us, asstard,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “My husband asked you a question.”

“Oh, my dear Isabella. So, nice to hear your voice,” James purred. “You look as radiant as ever. I wonder if Edward would be willing to share you with me.”

“I’d rather have a douche of hydrochloric acid,” I replied flatly. “You even come near with me with that diseased dick of yours, I’ll kill you.”

“That’s quite descriptive, Isabella,” James chuckled humorlessly. “I want a taste of that tight pussy and I’m determined to get it, but what I want is much more important than your cunt.” Edward growled, sounding like an animal. “I want money and a lot of it. You and your worthless husband are worth a lot of money and you’re going to pay me.”

“Why would we do that?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light and that I was unaffected by his hateful words.

“You cost me my fucking job, bitch!” he yelled, his anger finally spilling over the line. “You felt _threatened_ by me.”

“That’s because you were staring at me like I was a piece of meat. I was a student, asshole,” I yelled back. “On top of that, you took your dismissal poorly and trashed Larry’s office. It’s not my fault that you were a perv.”

“No, it’s your fault that you’re a bitch and couldn’t keep your mouth shut,” James hissed. “I want ten million dollars and an additional two million for each year I was deprived of gainful employment.”

“And if we refuse?” Edward snarled.

“Then, you will end up like Rosalie,” James answered. “She begged and pleaded for her life as I torched her. She didn’t want to die, but I don’t care. I didn’t care. I wanted to prove my fucking point that I will not be trifled with.”

“Rosie?” Emmett whimpered, falling to his knees.

“Yes, your bitch ex-wife, Rosalie Hale,” James cackled. “The screams were deafening and her clothes burnt off her body. She was naked and I laughed, watching as she slowly died. When she was no more, I took pictures and developed them. I wanted you guys to see my handiwork. Beautiful, yes?”

Emmett was sobbing on his knees, trying to call Rosalie, but her phone wasn’t on or it was disconnected. I knelt next to him, hugging him and he fell against me, his tears soaking my shirt.

“You’re sick, James. FUCKING sick,” Edward sneered.

“I know,” he laughed. “It’s great.” His voice turned cold and he continued. “Now, the money. You have a week to send it to my offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. The phone number of this disposable phone is the account number. One week. And those cops? Don’t even bother trying to trace this call. I’ve had time to fine tune everything. It’s untraceable. One week …” He hung up and the detective ended the call, placing the phone into an evidence bag.

“Rosie’s dead? I can’t believe she’s dead,” Emmett sobbed.

“We’ll find out if it was really her,” the detective muttered. “When we find out where the body was …”

I blinked up at the detective and my vision was growing fuzzy. The adrenaline from the phone call and the concert was dwindling. The fuzziness invaded more of my vision. “Bella?” Edward said. I blinked over to him and my head was in a fog. He sounded disjointed, disembodied, like the voice from the phone. My vision faded to black and I faintly remembered Edward’s voice shouting for me.

**A/N: I’m sorry … cliffhanger. Don’t hate me! If I can get the next chapter written, it’ll be posted NEXT week. I’ll let you know when I post the teaser. If it’s posted on Sunday, that’ll mean that the chapter will be posted as opposed to just a teaser.**

**Anyhow, pictures from the club in Kansas City and the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial are on my blog. You can find the link for that on my profile. Leave me some loving … more loving means we find out what is going on. ;-) Thanks for reading! See you on the flip side!**


	22. Darkness Shatters

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Darkness Shatters**

**BPOV**

“I want ten million dollars and an additional two million for each year I was deprived of gainful employment.”

“And if we refuse?” Edward snarled.

“Then, you will end up like Rosalie,” James answered. “She begged and pleaded for her life as I torched her. She didn’t want to die, but I don’t care. I didn’t care. I wanted to prove my fucking point that I will not be trifled with.”

“Rosie?” Emmett whimpered, falling to his knees.

“Yes, your bitch ex-wife, Rosalie Hale,” James cackled. “The screams were deafening and her clothes burnt off her body. She was naked and I laughed, watching as she slowly died. When she was no more, I took pictures and developed them. I wanted you guys to see my handiwork. Beautiful, yes?”

Emmett was sobbing on his knees, trying to call Rosalie, but her phone wasn’t on or it was disconnected. I knelt next to him, hugging him and he fell against me, his tears soaking my shirt.

“You’re sick, James. FUCKING sick,” Edward sneered.

“I know,” he laughed. “It’s great.” His voice turned cold and he continued. “Now, the money. You have a week to send it to my offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. The phone number of this disposable phone is the account number. One week. And those cops? Don’t even bother trying to trace this call. I’ve had time to fine tune everything. It’s untraceable. One week …” He hung up and the detective ended the call, placing the phone into an evidence bag.

“Rosie’s dead? I can’t believe she’s dead,” Emmett sobbed.

“We’ll find out if it was really her,” the detective muttered. “When we find out where the body was …”

I blinked up at the detective and my vision was growing fuzzy. The adrenaline from the phone call and the concert was dwindling. The fuzziness invaded more of my vision. “Bella?” Edward said. I blinked over to him and my head was in a fog. He sounded disjointed, disembodied, like the voice from the phone. My vision faded to black and I faintly remembered Edward’s voice shouting for me.

**EPOV**

I caught Bella just before her head cracked against the counter. I cradled her against my body, looking at the scene around me. Emmett was sobbing uncontrollably, trying, fruitlessly, to call Rose. Nia and Ainsley tried to comfort him, but he was so angry and lost that he stormed out of the room. I heard loud booming sounds and the walls shook. Kellan ran out of the room. The booming stopped and more anguished screams.

“Edward, there’s an EMT here,” Jasper whispered, touching my shoulder. I looked down at Bella. She was still out, her face ghost white and her body shaking uncontrollably, even while unconscious. I nodded, worried for my wife. The female EMT checked Bella’s blood pressure and everything was normal. She just fainted, the emotions too much for her and her mind was protecting itself. The EMT asked if we wanted to take her to the hospital, but we needed to keep this on the down low. Kellan said no and waved some smelling salts under Bella’s nose. She stirred, whimpering before her eyes flying open.

“Rose …” she gasped, looking at me and sitting up abruptly.  

“I don’t know yet, beautiful,” I said, cradling her in my arms. She gripped my shirt, still trembling.

“We need to get out of here and we need to get in touch with Agent Torres,” Ryan growled. I scooped Bella in my arms and she cried against my shoulder. We wove through the underground passages until we reached the exit and we clambered into the waiting SUVs. We drove back to the hotel, huddling in our suite until Ryan came back with a local FBI agent, Agent Travis Goodman. He explained that Agent Torres was on the next flight out.

“Has anyone tried calling Barbie?” Alice asked, curled up against Kellan. We had given statements, showered and were waiting for Torres. “Rose must have known that with what happened between her and Emmett, that she wanted to separate herself from us. It sucks, but it’s the truth. She may have changed her cell phone number, canceled her old plan?”

Bella handed me her phone. She was still woozy and a little disconnected. “Call her,” she murmured. “She’s in the phone under ‘Barbie.’”

I unlocked her phone and found Barbie’s number. Dialing it, I held the phone to my ear. It rang several times before an exhausted voice responded. “’lo?” came the sleep-rumpled voice.

“Mrs. Hale?” I asked.

“Who is this?” she asked, her voice still raspy.

“My name is Edward Cullen,” I replied.

“Isabella’s husband?” she muttered, a coldness washing over me. _This must be where Rose got her bitchiness from … her mother._

“Yes, ma’am,” I sighed, scrubbing my face. “Look, I know it’s late or early, whatever the case may be … but I have a weird question for you. It’s about Rosalie.”

“You and your wife and her ex-husband have lost that right,” Barbie snapped, her ire apparent. “When Emmett decided to fuck around on my daughter …”

“Mrs. Hale,” I snarled, my patience wearing thin and my anger snapping. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but is Rose okay? We’re dealing with a stalker situation and he sent word that he set Rosalie on fire, laughing as she burnt to death.”

“Oh, my god,” Barbie gasped.

“We can’t get ahold of her,” I explained. “I know that Rose was hurt by Emmett, but Bella still thinks of Rose like a sister and Emmett, as much as he hurt her, is torn up about it. Is Rose okay? Did she change phone numbers?”

“She got a new number,” Barbie explained. “Turned off her old phone. The cell phone and number are through her new job. Give me a few minutes. I’ll call her. She’s on a, um, a business trip in Virginia with her boss.” The phone call ended abruptly and we waited as the sun started crawling up the sky.

About ten minutes later the cell phone rang and I answered it. “Hello?” I squeaked.

“Rose is fine,” Barbie answered, her voice still cold and angry. “I asked her to call Bella, but she refused. She sounded out of breath …” I closed my eyes and nodded. “However, Rose did say she’d text, but she’s okay. In Virginia and safe.”

“Thank you, Barbie. I know that you didn’t have to do this, but we appreciate it,” I whispered. Barbie hummed before hanging up again. I ended the call, tightening my hold around my wife. “She’s okay. As far as I know, she’s on a business trip in Virginia.”

“It wasn’t her?” Emmett asked, his eyes still shattered. “That body?”

“Apparently. Barbie asked Rose to call Bella, but she wouldn’t do so. At some point, she’ll text, but probably when she’s a bit more coherent. It is really early,” I suggested. Bella melted against me and her quiet cries filled the room.

“Come on, Emmett. She’s okay,” Jasper said. “You need to get some sleep and to ice your knuckles.”

“I don’t want to be alone,” Emmett muttered. “I’m afraid …”

“I’ll stay with you, big guy,” Jasper replied, guiding him out of our suite. “Call me in my room when Torres gets here.” I nodded and swept Bella into my arms. We curled up in the bed, but sleep evaded both of us. Bella was tense and her eyes were glued open. It was almost like she was afraid to close her eyes; that James would crawl through the window and light _us_ on fire. Hell, that was my worst nightmare.

_Fucktard._

Around noon, there was a knock at the door. Bella was in a fitful sleep. I slipped out from the bed and padded to the door. Kellan was outside with Agent Torres and Ryan. “What’s up?”

“First up, we can’t leave Oklahoma City until they close the investigation. Who know how long that will take,” Kellan said, scrubbing his goatee. “As a result, we’re cancelling Dallas. Alice is making the arrangements and is on the phone with Adele, Jared and whomever else we need to inform.”

“What excuse are we using?” I asked, arching a brow over my glasses.

“The truth,” Agent Torres replied. “Obviously, not the _whole_ truth, but enough to give your fans an indication that your lives are in danger. I’m going to be working the case with Agent Goodman, trying to figure out the story behind what was left in your dressing room. How did it get in there? Who snuck past security? And where do we go from here?”

“Do you have any leads?” Kellan questioned.

“The only one is that the woman that was burned was found in an alley behind the Chesapeake Energy Arena,” Torres said. “It wasn’t that hard to find. She wasn’t well hidden. It was brought to the ME’s office for an autopsy and identification.” He frowned, his eyes filled with fury. “However, the woman was tortured.”

“Other than being burned alive?” I snarled.

“Yeah,” Torres sighed. “Anyhow, Nia is drafting a statement now and it will be posted online by the end of business today. You need to think about this tour. Is it worth your lives to continue it?”

“We’ll discuss that,” Kellan offered. “That’s more than a conversation between the three of us. That involves the executives from Twilight. They’re on their way.” They shook hands and Torres left. Kellan turned to me, his brows furrowed and looking extremely worried. “Are you okay, Edward?”

“Not really,” I sighed, running my hands through my hair. I looked back at the bedroom where my wife was sleeping fitfully. “We’re a hot mess. Jasper is babysitting Emmett. Bella is terrified to sleep because of what James is doing. And this threat of money? He wants us to pay him for his lost wages? He did that to himself with his actions six years ago. Not me. Not Bella. Not that innocent woman that he torched.”

“So, it’s safe to assume you’re _not_ paying him that money,” Kellan asked wryly.

“You assume correctly. He’s not getting one red cent of that money. He doesn’t deserve it and he’s a monster for doing this in the first place,” I growled. A whimper broke our conversation. I opened the door to our bedroom, seeing Bella toss and turn. I climbed into bed, holding her to my body. Almost immediately, she calmed and cried against my chest, even while she was asleep. “We need to end this. It’s killing us all with all of this drama. He’s not going to win. I refuse to bend to his will, Kellan.”

“Got it, Edward,” Kellan said, leaving me with Bella and holding her closely as she tossed and turned.

xx LMDC xx

Later that night, Rose sent Bella a curt, terse text, along with a photo of Virginia Beach, saying that she was okay. She apologized for not wanting to talk, but her wounds from divorcing Emmett were too raw.

_And like we’re not raw? Could you be more of a bitch?_

But, she had reached out and she was fine. Though, Emmett didn’t know this. Despite Jasper staying with him, he managed to drink himself into a stupor, emptying out the mini bar in the hotel room. He was sleeping in his bathroom, having puked up the entire contents of his stomach from the past week. I was sympathetic to his issues. I’d probably do the same and didn’t blame him.

We were staying in the hotel, poking at the meal we’d ordered from room service and waiting for Torres, Jared, Adele and Kellan to arrive from the airport. Torres spent the day at the FBI offices, but he was acting as extra security while Kellan picked up the Twilight executives. We also called Charlie, Senior, Carlisle and Esme. They wanted to fly out, but after discussing it with the band, we didn’t want them to be subject to the drama or danger we were in. We had to protect them.

“Kellan just texted. They’re here,” Nia said, reading off her phone. “The statement about canceling Dallas has been made live and we shared that the band has been subject to some disturbing letters, deliveries and threats. With the recent threats, your lives were placed in danger and it would be in the best interest of the band and for the fans, for you to take some time to focus on your family and each other. We would share any further details as they become available.”

“And the fall out?” Bella asked, sipping her tea. Her voice was raw from her terrified screams from her fitful nap. She was also still very, very pale and drawn, looking like a ghost.

“Nothing but positive,” Nia said, handing her phone to my wife. Bella read the comments, which consisted mainly prayers and comments sending support. There were also some comments about catching the monster who was sending the threats to us. A smile ghosted over my wife’s face, but she sighed heavily and handed Nia’s phone back to her. “Your fans love you and they are so supportive. They’re angry at the threats and want justice. I think there was even a Facebook group created for finding the person sending the threats.”

“If only they knew that we have the identity,” I snorted humorlessly. “He’s just a douchetard.”

“That’s the understatement of the century,” Jasper deadpanned.

The door opened and Kellan walked in with Jared, Adele and Agent Torres and the FBI agent from Oklahoma, Agent Goodman. I sat us down on the couch, holding her on my lap. From the grim looks on their faces, the news was _not_ good.

“Where’s Emmett?” Kellan asked.

“Sleeping off a hangover,” Jasper replied. “He got into the minibar. And before you go off on him for breaking his no-drinking rule of this contract, I think he’s entitled. He thought his ex-wife had been turned into a human s’more. I made sure that the hotel wouldn’t restock it and Greg is staying with him, in case he gets a bug up his ass to find a liquor store. It’s covered, Kellan.”

“Okay,” Kellan sighed. “But, he heard that Rose was alive, safe in Virginia.”

“Not the point, Kell,” Nia argued. “Just let him be. What’s up with the suits?”

“We’ll get to that,” Kellan said. “We need to discuss the tour, first. That’s why Jared and Adele are here.”

“After discussing it with the head of Twilight Records, we think that you should cancel the remaining dates on your tour,” Jared said. “Someone died because of this maniac. He won’t stop and clearly, this man is unhinged.”

“We can discuss possibly rescheduling for _next_ summer,” Adele offered.

“We need some time off, at least a year,” Jasper said, his voice curt. “We were promised that time at the _end_ of this tour. By forcing us to go back on tour next summer …”

“I know,” Adele frowned. “It’s not ideal. We’re losing a lot of money even entertaining the thought of canceling the remaining twenty or so performances. We know you have a stellar reputation for being consummate professionals and you put on a great show, but this is not worth your life.”

“I agree,” Bella said, her voice hollow and wooden. “I thought I could get over this. I thought that this crippling, debilitating fear would dissipate. For the first few concerts outside of Chicago, we were fine, but that threat of James doing something like this? It’s there, dangling in the distance. And now? He’s taken the life of someone who didn’t deserve to die. That’s on us.”

“Bella …” I whispered.

“NO! I don’t want to lose anyone in this room. Our family is too important. Our relationship … It’s too important to just throw away,” she seethed. “I hate having to hide, but I agree with Adele and Jared. We should just disappear …” She sniffled, curling against me and her tears drenching the t-shirt.

“Let’s not make any hasty decisions,” Kellan said. “What have you found out about the victim? You said you had some preliminary results from the medical examiner?”

Agent Travis Goodman, a tall, African-American man with a harsh look on his face and a shaved head stepped forward, opening a file that was tucked under his arm. “The body was covered with full-thickness burns over her entire body. She was alive when she was set on fire and she had been brutalized prior to her attack.”

“Brutalized? What happened?” Jasper asked, his arms squeezing Nia and kissing her temple.

“There was evidence that she had been sexually assaulted, repeatedly,” Goodman said, his face softening and a frown ghosting over his face. “There was also evidence of a substantial beating prior to her death. This woman was tortured.”

“Do we know who it is?” Alice asked, her fingers twining with Kellan’s. He pulled her to his side and kissed her forehead.

“We had to use dental records,” Torres explained. “But, preliminary findings indicate that the woman that was torched was Victoria St. Peters. We had her records on file since she was a person of interest in this case. It’s not confirmed, though. We’re running DNA, but those results won’t be ready for another week or so.”

“Another thing is that phone call you received on the burner cell?” Goodman continued. “It was traced to where her body was found. This stalker, James Loften, was in the area. We’re currently searching for him, using the man power we have available with the Oklahoma City Police Department and local FBI offices. It’s slow-going, but we’re searching for him.”

“So, the woman who was burned alive was systematically tortured, raped and beaten,” I said. “Do you think that James, that he did it?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Torres responded. “He’s growing bolder and that’s why we think it’s best to cancel the rest of the tour.”

“So, we could lure him to our house? He already sent letters there. If we’re on the road, he’ll have a hard time finding us. I’m not giving this up. I’m not rolling over and having him screw me over like the bitch he is,” I snapped. “I’m not giving up. We shouldn’t give up.”

“Someone died, Edward!” Jasper hissed. “He killed Victoria because he was trying to prove a point, or because she fucked up. If he could do that to her, his _accomplice_ , imagine what he’d do to any of us. This guy is a sadistic bastard and who knows what he’s capable of!”

“That’s why we have Pandora Security team,” I countered. “I understand canceling Dallas. I totally get that. We need to stay here for questioning and the investigation. But, I refuse to let this monster dictate how we live our lives. This national tour has been our _dream_ since we signed on with Twilight! I’m terrified, probably more than anyone because I’m the guy James wants to murder, but I’m not backing down.”

“I agree with Edward,” Emmett said, his voice slurring and looking like absolute shit. “He’s taken too much from us, causing us to live in fear. I remember when Bella’s ex-boyfriend forced her to become a shell of herself. It’s happening again and now, we’re the focus. Yes, this asshole is fucked up. Like he should be murdered on sight, but I’m not giving up my dream, _our_ dream because of this monster. And you should not pay that douche canoe, either.”

“We’re not,” I deadpanned. “That was never even a possibility.”

“Good,” Bella whispered, barely audible.

“I see what Edward is saying. Just prior to leaving for the tour, a letter was delivered to their home in Calabasas,” Kellan offered. “Being constantly on the move might be a good thing. But, possibly changing _how_ we move.”

“What do you mean?” Adele asked.

“It might be more expensive, but it’ll be better than canceling the rest of the tour,” Kellan said. “We fly them to each location, keeping them in obscure hotels or in private residences.”

“What do you think, Jared?” Adele queried.

“Let’s do some research to see if it’s feasible,” Jared muttered.

“It’s feasible,” I snapped. “Losing millions of dollars in refunding ticket prices, canceling performance venues? Or the safety of your artists?! You do the math! You’ve been bitching about fucking money ever since … I mean, our safety isn’t important? We’re offering you a fucking option to keep money in your god damned pocket, Jared. Not losing millions, perhaps even billions of dollars, you asshole.”

“Jared, go to your hotel room,” Adele hissed.

“What?!” he barked.

“You heard me,” Adele replied, arching a brow. “I’m away from my babies and clearly you cannot handle the one job I assigned you. Get the fuck out. We’ll discuss your future when I’m done.”

“You can’t fire me,” Jared whimpered.

“Watch me,” Adele argued. She pointed to the door and Jared ducked out of the room, dragged away by a pissed off Ainsley. “Alice, can you and Nia do some research about what Edward suggested. We could use the private jet. Hell, the record sales from your second album paid for that sucker.”

“Got it, Adele,” Alice chirped, moving and whipping out her computer.

“And what about extra protection?” Adele asked. “Pandora is doing a great job, but this is some scary shit.”

“I’m joining you on tour,” Goodman responded. He cracked a smile, making him look less intimidating. “I’m a huge fan. I know that’s highly unprofessional to say, but it’s the truth. With the nature of this threat, we can’t take anything lightly.”

“When will this stop?” Bella asked, blinking up at him.

“I don’t know, Mrs. Cullen,” he frowned. “We need to get him and for now, he seems to be eluding the cops. I hate what he’s done to you and to your family.”

“I hate him. Period,” she snorted.

“We all do, _cantante_ ,” I muttered, tightening my arms around her.

xx LMDC xx

We stayed in Oklahoma City for another day while Alice, Nia, Kellan and Adele reworked our transportation and accommodations for the remainder of the tour. It was significantly less expensive than canceling, per the CPA assigned to our account.

Jared had been summarily fired from his position at Twilight Records. On the downlow, Kellan had been sending recordings of Jared’s conversations with us regarding the situation with James and how he was trying to make us feel guilty about using the security firm and raising a ruckus over everything that had happened. And because he’d signed a non-disclosure agreement, he couldn’t blab about us to the tabloids. If he did, his salary and commission from having us as clients would be forfeit. He’d have to pay everything back to us, plus interest.

It was something that Adele made abundantly clear as she reamed him out in front of us for being a colossal asshole to us. He visibly shrank as she laid into him, not arguing in the slightest. He took the airplane ticket she’d purchased him and told him to clear out his desk. With a cursory nod, he skulked out of our room and presumably into obscurity. Adele was on her phone within moments, blackballing Jared from the music business. She did so gleefully. “I hated that money-hungry asshat,” she said. “He only saw the bottom line, never the artists. Thanks for helping me to see the light. That jack ass is out of our lives forever.”

“But, what about you? Your babies?” Nia asked.

“I’m leaving once we get everything settled,” Adele smiled. “We’re almost done. But, I’d like to talk to Bella and Edward. Privately?”

“Sure,” Kellan said. “I’m going to check on the lush.”

“Be nice to him,” Bella said. “He’s still reeling from the near-death experience with Rose. He hasn’t had a drink since he raided the mini-bar. And he’s paying for it now. He feels like complete ass.”

“It would help if Rose would respond to his texts,” I argued. Bella sent Emmett Rose’s number and he sent her numerous texts, needing to see _for real_ that she was okay. “I know that they’re no longer a couple, but it was a scary fucking moment for all of us when James said …”

“I’ve laid into her,” Bella growled. “She said that she’s close to changing her number, _again_ , if he doesn’t stop but I asked her to put herself into his shoes. She’s still _thinking about it_. That’s cold.”

“Agreed. We were all sickened and we got the reassurance we needed. I know that Emmett has no reason to ask for this, but it would make her a better person to put his mind at ease,” I sighed, threading my fingers with Bella’s.

“Maybe she’s responded by now,” Kellan sighed.

With a wave, he left the suite and Adele sat down, crossing her legs and looking at us.  “How are you guys? Surviving?”

“No. Not really,” Bella mumbled. “I’m ready to throw in the towel, but Edward and everyone else thinks that going home is suicide. I was out-voted.”

“Bella, I know that this overwhelming. Your first national tour as a headliner? It should be fun and exciting, not filled with all this drama,” Adele said. “It sucks that everything is blanketed by this darkness and that your trust is shattered because of that asshole. But, having you stay out on the road …”

“He still knows where we’re going to be. Our tour schedule is posted on the website, Adele,” Bella argued.

“It’s been removed, saying that we were reworking it,” she said. “And we are. We have to put Dallas and Peoria back on there, to honor the tickets that were sold. We’re not going to repost the tour schedule.”

“James was privy to that information, though. He worked for Lou,” Bella whispered. Her eyes clamped shut and her face paled, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Bella, sweetheart, breathe,” Adele said soothingly, crouching in front of my wife. I held her close as she trembled. “Look at me.” Bella did and wiped her cheeks. “You’re going to be safe. The only other option would be to end the tour and put you into a safe house. Away from your friends, your family.”

“No, I don’t want that,” she said. “We’ll have protection?”

“The best and Goodman said that they have a lead on James,” I offered, kissing her temple. “They found where he was staying while he was here.”

“Was he there?” Bella asked, looking at me, her face just _shattered_. She wanted to believe that he was caught, but it broke my heart to even fathom that he was gone. I shook my head and she shot up, stomping away and looking out the window. It was raining, storming, again and it matched our volatile mood. “Any clues as to _where_ he went?”

“Some. They’re following leads,” I said, sliding my arms around her waist. She stiffened, but eventually melted against me. “I’m sorry, _cantante_. So, sorry … I wish I could make all of this go away.”

“Me, too,” she choked out. “I don’t agree with what we’re doing, but I’ll do it, Edward. I can’t lose you. I can’t lose anyone. If James … I don’t know what I’d do.” I took her into my arms, allowing her to fall apart. I felt the same way, but I wasn’t going to let this monster stop me from living and enjoying my life. “I can’t lose you, Edward. I can’t. Please, don’t leave me.”

“Never, Bella,” I said soothingly. “I love you and I won’t let anything happen to either of us. I promise you.”

“Me, too,” Adele murmured, walking over to us. “This is a lot to process. I get that. I understand your fear, terror, for this whole situation.” She gave us both a tentative grin. “You’ll get the best protection possible and tomorrow morning, you’ll be departing for El Paso. You have a show to put on.”

“How do we pretend like nothing is wrong?” Bella asked.

“Good question,” I snorted, looking at Adele. “Our fans know, to some extent, what’s been going on.”

“I’m working with Kellan, drafting a statement to be said prior to your performance in El Paso, explaining in slightly _more_ detail the issues you’re contending with,” Adele said. “We’re going to assure them of your safety, as well as theirs. We’re not going to divulge the information that we know who’s responsible to the greater public. However, the security teams in the venues, as well as Pandora and Goodman, will be obviously share that with local police departments.”

“Okay,” Bella said, leaning heavily against me. Adele hugged both of us, vowing to see us off at the airport the next day. She left. Bella and I curled up on the bed, falling into a fitful sleep after we’d packed our bags to leave for our flight to El Paso. The buses had left earlier in the day, to make it to our next stop. In the darkness, as we lay in the king-sized bed in our hotel suite, Bella whispered. “Do you think this will come to an end? Soon?”

“I hope so, beautiful. We can’t keep going on like this,” I whispered back. “I hate seeing you so afraid.”

“I hate being afraid,” she muttered. “Say you love me, Edward.”

“I adore you, Bella. I always will,” I vowed.

“I love you more than my own life,” she said, looking up at me and kissing me sweetly. It was the most beautiful of kisses, but it felt different. Everything was changing.

It felt like … _good bye._

**A/N: Kind of a dark chapter. However, Rose is okay, though she’s being a bitch to her ex-husband. Things are brewing and they’re going to come to a head sooner, rather than later. No pictures with this one since we stayed in Oklahoma City. If anything, I may have a picture of Agent Goodman on my website.**

**Up next will be El Paso and dealing with that performance, moving through concerts until we get to Las Vegas and Bella’s birthday. Leave me some loving, please! Thank you for reading! ;-)**


	23. Moving Forward

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Kind of a dark chapter. However, Rose is okay, though she’s being a bitch to her ex-husband. Things are brewing and they’re going to come to a head sooner, rather than later. No pictures with this one since we stayed in Oklahoma City. If anything, I may have a picture of Agent Goodman on my website.**

**Up next will be San Antonio and dealing with that performance, moving through concerts until we get to Las Vegas and Bella’s birthday.**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Moving Forward**

**BPOV**

I was a zombie. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Even Edward. I knew he felt horribly, but he gave me my space. I was curled up in the rear of the plane, listening to some angry instrumental music. I was trying _not_ to cry, but failing miserably. This whole thing was a fucking nightmare. I was scared, terrified that anyone in my family was going to be hurt. My brother was broken because Rose was being a bitch.

She’d blocked both of our numbers, sending a harsh email.

Any residual sisterly love I had for her dissipated when I got that email.

_Bella and Emmett,_

_I know you’re both going through a tough time, but so am I. I’m okay, but I don’t need a million texts from either of you asking me for proof. I hate to be a bitch, but I’m going to be. Your numbers will be blocked and I will not respond anymore to any texts or emails (as this email address will be deleted, as well). I think a clean break is needed._

_Rosalie Hale_

If I saw her again, she’d get a swift kick in the ass. Bitch was an understatement of the century.

I was crying for the danger we were in, for the loss of Rosalie’s friendship and just the ardent fear I had. It was making me sick. I couldn’t stop throwing up.

“Hey, Bella,” Alice said. She sat down across from me and handed me some tea. “It’s peppermint. It’s supposed to settle your stomach. Edward said you were sick, had an upset stomach.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, taking the tea and inhaling deeply. The scent was calming.

“Emmett told me about Rose’s email. What a bitch and a half,” Alice said, chuckling quietly.

“Yep,” I replied. I sipped my tea. “Alice, I know what you’re trying to do, but I really don’t want to talk. My throat hurts from being sick this morning and I have to sing tonight. Plus, I just want to be alone.” She pouted. “Don’t pout. I’m fucking terrified and I have to figure out how to hide that.”

“Okay, Bella,” she murmured. “If you want to talk.”

“Thanks,” I said, leaning against the window and staring at the passing clouds. Alice got up, leaving me to my rumination. Now, _I_ felt like a bitch, but I couldn’t handle her. I couldn’t handle all of this. I wanted to take my anti-anxiety medications but it was in my checked bag, plus it made me exhausted. Perhaps, after the concert tonight.

The plane began to descend about an hour later, landing at a private airstrip just outside of San Antonio. There were a fleet of black SUVs waiting for us. We’d be staying in the same private residence, but there would be decoy cars to throw James off our scent. Supposedly … _whatever that meant._

Edward was being respectful of my need for solitude, but I could tell he wanted to hold me close. I wanted to feel his arms around me. They always made me feel safe. I had to get my head wrapped around this madness. Usually, in Edward’s arms, I forgot my problems and focused on him. Or rather, losing myself _in him_.

“We’ve got a private mansion, in a gated community, for our stay in San Antonio,” Kellan explained. “I know that some of you want to hit some tourist attractions, like the Alamo, but with what’s going on, it’s probably not the best idea.”

“Damn it,” Jasper grumbled. “I’ll have to show you the Alamo another time, Nia.” His accent was very thick, reminding me that Jasper was from Texas. I’d forgotten. His southern drawl was almost nonexistent, until he came back to his home state. Then, he was all lazy drawling and laid-back. I was jealous about that. I was as nervous as a whore in church. I was terrified of being out in the open. I was trembling and my heart was about to stammer out of my chest.

“ _Cantante_ ,” Edward whispered, his hand sliding into mine and tugging me to his chest. I was stiff, at first, but then melted against him. “Shhhh, I’ve got you.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered brokenly.

“Let’s get you guys settled at the house. The show is set to start at eight. You need to be ready to go by no later than six,” Kellan said. “With dinner and getting ready, you have about two hours to relax once we get to the house.” He looked at me sympathetically.

 _Or pathetically, because you’re a pathetic loser, Bella_.

Edward guided me into one of the waiting SUVs and we took off. I snuggled to his side, my eyes drooping and my lack of sleep catching up with me. I must have crashed hard because when I woke up, I was in a king-sized bed, curled up next to Edward. “Hey, beautiful,” Edward whispered, brushing my messy hair away from my face. “You slept hard.”

“What time is it?” I asked, my voice croaking and raw.

“A little after five. Alice came in here, demanding to have you get ready but I wanted to give you as much time to rest. You could wear a burlap sack and you’d be gorgeous,” he chuckled.

“I feel like roadkill,” I mumbled, sitting up and reaching for a bottle of water next to him. I took a tentative sip and made a face. “And my stomach is doing flipflops.”

“Let me get you something to eat, baby,” Edward said, kissing my temple. I whimpered. “Something to settle it. Some toast and ginger ale. Why don’t you take a shower and get ready? Okay?”

“Kay,” I nodded.

“Bella, I love you. I would do anything to protect you,” he whispered.

“I love you, too, handsome,” I breathed, looking up at him and seeing how _shattered_ he was. “I’m sorry.”

“Do not apologize, Bella. This is _not_ your fault,” he said, his hands taking my face and he stared into my eyes. His jade-colored orbs were bloodshot and his eyes were puffy. He’d been crying. “None of this is your fault. It’s not my fault, either. James is at fault, baby. He’s the monster. The villain in our story.” He brushed my hair away from my face. “Please, don’t ever apologize about anything regarding this mess. It’s not your fault.”

“Okay,” I sniffled, kissing his cheek. He hugged me and he left the bedroom. I stumbled to the bathroom, taking a cursory shower, but not washing my hair. I’d have to do something to it, but I didn’t want to deal with a wet head. After I showered, I put in my contacts and brushed my teeth. Edward was back in the bedroom with a light meal. He nuzzled my neck before he darted into the bathroom. I picked at my food, not really hungry and vampire bats assaulting my stomach. When Edward came out, he practically force-fed me. Performing took a lot out of you and if you weren’t at your best, it would be a nightmare.

When I was done with my food, Alice came in and she put my hair into a braid that fell over my shoulder. She kept my makeup and outfit simple, seemingly aware that I didn’t really care at this point how I looked or what designers I was supporting. When she was done, she hugged me and gave me a brief smile before leaving. She told Edward that his outfit was in the closet. It coordinated with mine.

We both were in black.

It fit my mood.

Hell, the mood of the entire tour. With James’ black cloud hanging over us. It was appropriate.

“Bella! Edward! We need to get going if we’re going to make it to the AT&T Center on time,” Kellan yelled.

“Come on, beautiful,” Edward said, taking my hand and kissing my wrist. “Once you get there, you’ll feel more at ease.”

“Will I?” I shrugged. He frowned. “I’m sorry. I just … I’m terrified, Edward.” Tears began to form and he held me so tightly. “How am I supposed to do this?”

“I’m right next to you, baby,” he said quietly.

“GUYS! We’ve got to go!” Kellan huffed, his aggravation abundantly clear.

“I’m going to kick his ass,” Edward deadpanned. He cupped my chin and guided my eyes up to his. “You feel scared, look at me. Hold my hand. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe, love.” He wiped his thumbs under my eyes and he kissed me sweetly. “Deep breath in … and release. Good. Let’s go kick some ass.”

I snorted, allowing him to guide me down the stairs. Kellan looked abashed when we got down there and Alice looked smug. “I’m sorry about rushing you. I know that this is tough,” Kellan said. “The venue has been checked and rechecked. There is a perimeter around the arena and the cops are blocking off the streets, save for the parking lots, which you need to have a ticket in order access.”

“It’s okay,” I sighed. “I’m being a baby about this.”

“No, you’re not,” said Agent Goodman, whose first name was Travis. “You have every right to be frightened, Miss Bella. You all should be frightened. But, we’ll get him.” 

Kellan hugged me, kissing my cheek and leading us out to the caravan of waiting SUVs. The ride to the arena was confusing, winding down back alleys and side roads. We arrived in an underground entrance and were herded into the green room. Ryan and Ainsley were taking point, with Greg following up the rear. Their friendly faces were fierce and angry. They wore all black and their weapons were clearly visible. Travis was dressed similarly, as was Kellan. In the arena, we were met by the head of security. He said that every access point was protected and that there was round-the-clock video surveillance.

_That did little when the person hides their face and blends in, easily, with the crowd._

I stayed quiet and let my body relax, as much as I could. Inside, we listened to the last fifteen minutes of the Cliffhanger’s set. They were staying in another mansion, on the other side of town. They would be taking our buses, acting as decoys. I hated putting them into that position, but they volunteered and were more than willing to do this for us.

Jasper pulled us into the wings and we said our prayers. “Lord, we need your strength today. We’ve been forced to face our biggest fears. Please, watch over us and give us protection and guidance in this difficult time. Especially, for Edward and Bella, as they are the focus of the anger and fear. We pray for a solid show and an understanding crowd. We trust and love you,” Jasper whispered. The Cliffhanger’s ended their set and they scrambled off the stage. “Thank you for your guidance, protection and love. We will continue to need it tonight and always. In God’s name … Amen.”

The crowd grew quiet as the screens went dark. Edward’s voice filtered through the speakers. We went and looked at Lou’s screen, seeing a video of Edward, sitting on a nondescript couch and looking worn out.

“When did you make this?” I asked.

“While you were sleeping,” he said, sliding his arm around my waist. “Watch, baby.”

“Good evening and thank you for coming tonight. My name is Edward Cullen and I’m one of the lead singers for the band, Breaking Midnight. This is our first tour as a headliner and it should be nothing but fun, excitement and music. It’s not. We’ve recently had some very troubling situations arise, starting at the beginning of the tour. My wife and I, we’re the targets a particularly vicious, dangerous stalker. We’ve received troubling letters, threatening deliveries and terrifying images sent to us. Most recently, we had phone call from this person, saying that they’d hurt someone that we loved.

“This is _not_ okay. We’re scared and tired and worried for each other, our families and you, our fans. I’ve been asked to speak to you about the measures we’re taking to ensure our safety, as well as yours. If you’ve noticed, there’s an increased security presence and rules put in place regarding purses and larges bags. We needed to enact this to prevent the possibility of weapons or worse being brought into the venue.

“Additionally, we’ve had to cancel a couple of performances. Dallas, we canceled because of the threat that was made against our families and we had to stay in Oklahoma City while they investigated. In Peoria, we canceled because there was threat that there was a bomb placed in the performance space. Thankfully, there wasn’t, but we erred on the side of caution. Both of those dates will be rescheduled and tickets purchased for those performances will be honored at the rescheduled time.

“I know that this is _not_ how you wanted to start a concert to your favorite band. Hell, it’s not how I wanted to start our concert, but you, as fans, should know what’s going on. We love you and the support you given us from the moment we began as a cover band at Emerson University until we stepped onto the stage at Madison Square Garden. We thank you and are so appreciative of the kind words you’ve shared with us on our webpage, Facebook page and other social media. We cannot divulge much more regarding the situation, but we couldn’t keep you in the dark either.

“With that being said, I hope, along with the rest of Breaking Midnight, enjoy the show for our Midnight Sun Tour. Thank you and God Bless.”

The screens dimmed and few moments passed. The crowd was eerily silent. I could hear some people crying. “Lou, begin the preshow music,” Kellan whispered.

“Just a few more moments,” Lou whispered back. When the crowd began clapping, and then cheering, the preshow music began and the cheers turned to screams. A sound technician helped me with my ear protection and handed me my microphone. Lou hugged me. “Break a leg, kiddo.”

“Thanks, Lou,” I smiled, kissing his cheek and taking Edward’s proffered hand. We went out onto the stage. Edward picked up his guitar and with Lou’s count off, began playing the music and the lights came up. The screams were downright deafening. Edward looked at me, winking at me and we began our concert in San Antonio to an enthusiastic, supportive, _amazing_ crowd. I was still terrified that James would pop out of nowhere, but knowing our fans had our backs; it made it a little more palatable.

After the concert, we got into our SUVs and drove back to the mansion. We were staying there for another full day before flying to El Paso, late in the evening. Jasper was planning on making us his famous enchiladas, empanadas and other various Mexican food that he was craving. The company we’d used to rent the mansion had arranged for the fridge to be filled with necessary foods. And we were all excited for the feast tomorrow.

I just prayed that my stomach would not decide to revolt because I was _craving_ Mexican food. I wanted nothing but nachos, melted cheese and heaps of sour cream.

_Talk. About. Weird._

“Bella, you did amazing tonight,” Edward said as we changed for bed after we’d showered off the sweat from the concert. “I know that your voice was a little rough, but you were … so fucking sexy.”

“I beg to differ,” I snorted, taking my dried, but unfinished hair and pulling it into a messy bun. “I felt like a total slob up there. My entrances were sloppy and my voice was under pitch most of the show.”

“I don’t think the audience cared, Bella,” he replied, pulling me into the bed and covering us with the white duvet cover. He held me to his bare chest and I idly scratched his muscular torso. “You were simply wonderful and I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you, Edward,” I whispered, tracing the ridges of his abdomen. He was always muscular, even when we were first together, but now? His body was so masculine and his chest hair … it was darker and more prominent, making him sexier. _Focus, Bella_. “You were so eloquent when you recorded that message. It must have been very hard.”

“It was. I wanted to say who it was and that he was an unforgiving bastard, but Travis and Kellan told me that it was an active investigation and that it wouldn’t be prudent to do so,” Edward snorted, capturing my hand and kissing my fingertips. “You’re teasing, love. I love your hands on me, but I’m so tired because sleep has been … well, _nonexistent_ … the past couple of days. With your fingers dragging along my belly, I want to rip off your clothes and have my wicked way with you. I don’t know if I could stay awake.”

“I know I couldn’t,” I snickered, yawning widely. “How’s your piercing?”

“It’s healing,” he answered, looking down at the turquoise ring through his nipple. “It doesn’t hurt that badly. Wearing tight shirts do help, but I do need to air it out.” My fingers moved so it was just underneath his nipple. His pectoral muscle rippled and I smiled up at him. He gave me his crooked grin, leaning down and kissing my lips. “Let’s get some sleep. We have a day to rest tomorrow. We all need it.”

“Okay,” I mumbled, curling up closer to him and burrowing my head against his shoulder. “I love you, Edward. I’m sorry about being so emotional.”

“No apologies. I’m with you, _cantante_. I’ve had my moments,” he chuckled sadly. “Mainly when I’m showering or when I’m working out.”

“Explain.”

“I usually let the sadness and fear come out in the showers. I can cry without being noticed,” he frowned. “The anger comes out when I’m working out. Emmett and I sparred today. I actually brought him down, much to my surprise. However, his mind is in a million different places. He’s pissed off at Rose, afraid for you, and upset at himself for falling off the wagon.”

“I think we’re all pissed at Rose,” I growled. “I know that she’s dealing with the divorce in her own way, but she loved us once. She cared about us at one point in time. Now? It’s like were garbage to her. With James’ comment that he burnt her alive? You’d figure she want to put us at ease, if she had a fucking heart. Apparently, she doesn’t and I’m done with her.”

“Alice is sending her a letter, calling her out,” Edward said. “She’s going to tell her that she’s being a selfish, heinous bitch for how she’s acting. Yes, she’s in pain. Yes, she’s gone through a divorce. But, you know what? Those feelings you have for the people _in your family_ just don’t go away. She’s being too harsh, especially with what happened. Just saying.” He yawned, kissing my forehead. “Now, too many deep conversations. My brain is tired and I want to cuddle with my wife.”

“That sounds like a dream come true,” I sighed. He tightened his hold on me and I was asleep within moments, safe in the arms of my husband.

xx LMDC xx

“Jasper, do you need any help?” I asked as I made my way into the kitchen. I couldn’t focus on my book and I was antsy, needing to do something. Cooking sounded pretty good.

“You should be resting, Mrs. Cullen,” Jasper chided, cutting up some jalapeno peppers.

“I should be, but I’m getting antsy. Let me help,” I said, looking at the recipes. “I can make the beef for the empanadas, and the cheesy dipping sauce.”

“You don’t mind?” he asked. I shook my head. He smiled, kissing my cheek and handing me the ground beef. We worked seamlessly, making the Mexican feast. My mouth was watering as Jasper and I made the empanadas, deep frying them and setting them off to the side. “This all looks _amazing_. Thank you, Bella, for helping. It went by so easily and I think you made some improvements to my recipes.”

“I think it comes from my time living in Phoenix for a spell,” I chuckled, helping Jasper carry the food to the dining table. “You want to call them or shall I?”

“GUYS! FOOD!” Jasper shouted. I barked out a laugh, sitting down at the table and trying to keep myself from snorting. “What?”

“You are too much, Jas,” I snickered as everyone began meandering into the dining room. Edward walked toward me and sat down next to me. “Hey, baby. Did you get a good nap?”

“My snuggle buddy disappeared,” he said, giving me a playful scowl. Moving me, he put me on his lap and he buried his nose into my hair. “Why didn’t you stay with me?”

“I couldn’t read anymore and I was antsy. I need to pee, all the time,” I giggled. “I didn’t want to disturb you, baby.”

“Okay, but you could have woken me up, Bella,” he murmured. He kissed me, humming quietly as he kissed me. “You taste like nacho cheese.”

“I had to make sure the cheesy dip was delicious,” I said, spooning a little onto his plate. “Try it.”

“I’d rather just kiss you again,” he replied, giving me a beautiful crooked grin. He was still sleepy and rumpled, but absolutely gorgeous and his eyes were so very green. “What, Bella? You’re staring.”

“I love you,” I said, brushing my lips with his.

“Ugh, stop being nauseating,” Kellan grumbled. “Some of us would like to enjoy our refried beans and enchiladas without puking from the love fest you’ve got going.”

“Oh, quit being a grump, Kel,” Alice snickered, poking his belly. “Ignore him. He’s cranky because he’s doing his job, plus Jared’s job.”

“I’m getting paid more, but still. I’m fucking exhausted,” Kellan said. “I’m sorry. Continue being nauseating. I love you guys, regardless. Now, my mouth is watering and this all smells delicious. Jasper, thank you for cooking for us tonight. It’s nice to have a home-cooked meal. Eating at hotels constantly … too much.”

“Bella helped,” Jasper said, dishing out enchiladas and passing them around the table.

“It looks fabulous,” Kellan sang, making his plate. Once we all had full, overflowing plates, we dug in and it was the best meal we’d had in a long time. I devoured my plate and most of Edward’s, much to his surprise. I gave him a glower as I practically licked the plate. Emmett and Alice did the dishes while Kellan set up the fire pit. Edward and I snuggled on a chaise while Jasper played on his acoustic guitar.

“Do you remember that song? By Extreme?” Jasper asked Edward. “’More than Words’?”

“Yeah,” Edward smiled. Jasper began playing and their voices blended together … sounding amazing and reminiscent of our early days when we were a cover band.

 _Saying I love you_  
Is not the words I want to hear from you  
It's not that I want you  
Not to say, but if you only knew  
How easy it would be to show me how you feel  
More than words is all you have to do to make it real  
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me  
'Cause I'd already know  
What would you do if my heart was torn in two  
More than words to show you feel  
That your love for me is real  
What would you say if I took those words away  
Then you couldn't make things new  
Just by saying I love you

_More than words  
La di da, da di da, di dai dai da_

_Now I've tried to talk to you and make you understand_  
All you have to do is close your eyes  
And just reach out your hands and touch me  
Hold me close don't ever let me go  
More than words is all I ever needed you to show  
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me  
'Cause I'd already know

 _What would you do if my heart was torn in two_  
More than words to show you feel  
That your love for me is real  
What would you say if I took those words away  
Then you couldn't make things new  
Just by saying I love you

“Wow,” Nia whispered. “Jasper, I knew you could sing, but not like that. You should add that to the show!”

“We’d need to get permission from Extreme,” Edward explained.

“They were bought out by Twilight Records,” Kellan smirked. “We own their entire catalogue.” He took out his phone and smirked. “We should have an answer by tomorrow morning.”

“Sweet,” Nia sang, clapping her hands.

“It was nice just sing and play music for fun,” Jasper said. “Don’t get me wrong. I love what we do, but we haven’t just _jammed_ in the longest time. It was always preparing for some gig or writing songs for our latest album.”

“That’s why we asked for the time off after this tour. We need to rejuvenate ourselves,” Edward sighed, his arms tightening around me and he kissed my temple. “It’s been nonstop for almost six years. We need a break. We need to be able to be creative and just be with each other, as friends and not as band mates.”

“Some of us need to heal,” Emmett muttered. He sipped his water and stared into the flames.

“Amen to that, brother bear,” I whispered, rubbing his arm. Edward snuggled me closer. The air had cooled and it was a bit chilly, even with the fire. “Love you, baby.”

“Love doesn’t even come close, _cantante_ ,” Edward said, smiling softly at me.

Alice came out with her computer and a wry grin. “With everyone here, we have important things to discuss … namely, _Bella’s_ birthday,” she said. “You only turn twenty-five once, chicky. According the schedule, you’re going to be in Vegas. You’re going to have a brief break while in Sin City, presumably to celebrate your birthday, but I want to do something for you.”

“Do we have to?” I whined. “I’d rather not. With everything going on …”

“I agree,” Edward said, holding me closer to his body. “I want to celebrate Bella’s birthday, but not at the expense of everyone’s safety.”

“This is why I’m suggesting we rent out a club,” Alice said. “We couldn’t find a private residence, but we are staying at the Wynn Encore in their three-bedroom duplex. I’ve already made necessary arrangements to rent out Intrigue at the Wynn Casino. It wouldn’t be the entire club, but a small private part of the club, with our DJ, bar and security. Well, not _too_ private. It’s overlooking and extending onto the patio.”

“Alice, I don’t know,” I said. “All I want for my birthday is for this nightmare to be over. I don’t want to stress out about being in a club, even if it is reserved just for us.”

“Okay, I’ll reserve it. Just in case,” she said, waving her hand. “It’s easier to cancel the reservation than beg for one in the first place.” She tapped a few keys on her computer, nodding. “Secondly, we need to figure out what Bella wants for her birthday.”

“What I always want … money donated, in my name, to the various charities I support,” I nodded. “St. Jude, ASPCA and various arts funding charities. I don’t want or _need_ anything. Well, I want this drama with James to be over, but that’s something that we have zero control over. You know?”

“You support the ASPCA. Why don’t we get you a puppy?” Nia giggled.

“I’d love to get a dog, but after we’re done with the tour. Imagine trying to potty train it,” I snickered.

“Good to know … Christmas present,” Edward smirked, kissing my neck. “Practice for when we have kids.”

“You have babies on the brain, Edward,” I said, grinning secretively. “It’s going to take time.”

“You never know,” he sang.

“Another thing that I wanted to talk to you about was Rosalie,” Alice said, her voice taking on a hard edge.

“Why?” Emmett hissed. “She made her feelings _abundantly_ clear about how little she cares about us and how we were worried to the point of _sickness_ , but she couldn’t be bothered.”

“And that’s what I told her when I called her. She wasn’t on a business trip, but a romantic getaway with her new boyfriend. She didn’t want her ex-husband and ex-sister-in-law to interfere. I laid into her. Ripped her a new asshole and by the time I was done with her she was sobbing hysterically,” Alice said, an evil grin gracing her face. “I said that she was the most hateful, selfish bitch I’d ever met. To hurt people, you once loved as much as she did, it was unfathomable. I didn’t care that she was fucking around with the pope, but to be as cold-hearted as she was … She said that she was getting back at Emmett, but I argued that what Emmett did was bad, but he apologized for it. What she did was fucking cruel.”

“What did she say?” Jasper asked. “When you said that.”

“Nothing, but I heard her sniffle on the phone line. She tried to apologize, but I told her that I wasn’t the one she needed to apologize to. Emmett deserved the biggest apology because despite what had happened between the two of them, Emmett still loved her and he should have received confirmation that Rose was alright. Bella also should get one, too,” Alice said, smirking proudly. “Who’s to say she’ll follow through, but I gave her a piece of my mind and I may have given her phone number to Charlie, who was about to fly out to New York or wherever she was to ream her out.”

“Charlie won’t do that,” Emmett and I both said. We shared a look, chuckling.

“He will probably call her and share his disappointment in her behavior,” Emmett shrugged. “But, you know what? I don’t care. If Rose can’t even care to think about us as we’re dealing with this bullshit, then I’m not going to think about her. Her true colors are coming out and I don’t like them. I was blinded by love to not see them. I _am_ better off without her.”

“She was always bitchy,” Jasper shrugged. “She softened a little bit when you guys started dating, but when things went downhill in your marriage, the bitch came back. I don’t know. You deserve someone who loves you unconditionally and is not as selfish. Rose changed. We all have, but she changed the most.”

“Me, too,” Emmett sighed. “It doesn’t negate the fact that it fucking hurts because she didn’t care enough to call back even after Bella asked her to, but whatever.” He shot up and tossed his water bottle in the garbage. “I’m going to bed. I’m tired and cranky.”

“Em, you won’t …” Kellan warned. “I know you’ve had a rough couple of days.”

“Nope. I’m done with that shit and with everything. I just want to sleep,” he said, giving Kellan a tight smile. “Goodnight. Jas, thanks for dinner. It was fucking awesome.” He kissed my cheek. “Love you, Isabelly.”

“Love you, too, brother bear,” I smiled. He ruffled my hair and went inside. We stayed outside until the fire died out. With murmured goodbyes, Edward led me inside and into our room. I yawned. “I’m going to shower. I smell like a campfire.”

“Do you want company?” Edward asked, waggling his brows. I giggled, nodding. We went into the shower, stripping off our clothes and quickly washing each other. Edward was constantly touching me, but snuggling me. We got ready for bed and then curled up under the covers. “ _Cantante_ , about your birthday, don’t let Alice bully you. I know that we’re all on edge and if you don’t want to go out, I understand. Hell, I’d be happy. I could spend the day worshipping your body.”

“And how is that any different from any other day?” I teased.

“True,” he smirked, pulling me close. “Seriously, though. You don’t have to …”

“Edward, I’m not going to say no, but the idea of a party does sound nice. We’ll be on ‘lockdown’ for almost two weeks by that point, except for concerts and flying to venues. We may be able to enjoy and spread our wings in Vegas. Who’s to say? Perhaps, James will be caught by then,” I shrugged.

“You’re right,” he replied. “And Alice is right, too. It’s easier to reserve the venue then beg, borrow and plead to get the space to begin with.”

“You said something that hit close to home and reminded me of what you said when I was dealing with Jacob and his bullshit. We can’t live in fear,” I shrugged. “A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.”

“You remember that?” he chuckled.

“I remember everything you say, Edward. You are so important to me,” I whispered, brushing his damp hair away from his face. “But, we have to move forward, baby. We can’t stay hidden and afraid. That way, James wins. I don’t want him to win. Evil does not prevail.”

“Moving forward,” Edward said, almost reverently. “You’re right, beautiful. However, I’d love to move together. You know with you. _In_ you.”

“That can be arranged,” I purred, pulling him to me and kissing him deeply.

**A/N: Sorry, fade to black with this … Not every lemon needs to be written. You know? Up next will be some fast forwarding through time, leading up to Bella’s birthday. Pictures of San Antonio are on my blog, along with a video of “More than Words” by Extreme. Leave me some loving! Thank you for reading!**


	24. What Happens in Vegas ...

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be some fast forwarding through time, leading up to Bella’s birthday**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: What Happens in Vegas …**

**EPOV**

The next nine days were spent in relative silence when it came to James. There was nothing on the radar. No word, no nasty notes, no threatening phone call. It shocked me, shocked all of us, to be honest. We never sent him the money. You’d figure he’d throw some sort of fit.

However, I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, damn it.

It was generally quiet, thankfully. We had extra time since we were flying from city to city and we were able to catch up on our sleep. The concerts were the best we’d had since our first few concerts in New York and Boston. Unfortunately, we had frayed nerves. The lack of communication put us on edge. The threat was very real and in the forefront in our minds.

A couple of days before Bella’s birthday, we arrived in Las Vegas and checked into the Wynn hotel and staying in the suites. Bella wrinkled her nose, hating staying at a hotel. We’d been spoiled by staying in large private homes, filled with food for home cooked meals. Bella cooked, making enough to feed an army. When she wasn’t cooking, Jasper took over the kitchen or Nia.

“So, we made some plans,” Alice chirped as we settled into the living room.

“I thought we were going to keep a low profile?” Bella asked, arching a brow.

“We will be keeping a low profile,” Alice said soothingly. “We’re going out under assumed identities.”

“Nope. The only thing I want to do is celebrate my birthday. Nothing else,” Bella replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “We’re still dealing with a psycho out on the loose. The fact that we haven’t heard from him? I’m not running the risk of … It’s not happening. The party at Intrigue? That’s going to happen, but nothing else. If you want to go out, have at it. I know that living in fear is not healthy, but I refuse to …” She got up and went into our suite, closing the door.

“She’s right, Alice. Even with the precautions you suggested, the touristy things would be too much,” Ryan said. “We’re keeping the club safe and that’s because we’re able to control every aspect of it. We’ve run background checks on the employees, had them sign NDAs, and even have control on the food, drinks and anything else.”

“I agree with Ryan, too,” I nodded. “Alice, I appreciate the thought behind this, but until James is caught, we’re just going to celebrate Bella’s birthday at the club. You guys can go out, but Bella and I are going to work on edits for the soundtrack that Larry sent to us.”

“You’re not going to win, Alice,” Kellan snickered. “We’ll go out, but don’t push Edward and Bella.”

“Or the rest of us,” Emmett said, tugging on his hair. “I don’t think I should go out either. I don’t want tempt myself in Sin City.” He got up, grabbing a water bottle. “I’m going to head to the gym. I need to work off some of this excess energy.” He went into his room and emerged a few moments later in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt cut close to his body. Greg got up and left with him, acting as his protection.

Alice made a face, narrowing her eyes at me. “This sucks.”

“It does suck, but it’s our reality at the moment,” I answered. “I think we’re going to use the couple of days to do work that we need to get done and hopefully move past all of this.” I got up, kissing Alice’s cheek and heading into my room. Bella was working on her laptop, working on the score, presumably. “You okay, beautiful?”

“I’m fine,” she answered, tersely.

“Bella,” I said warningly.

“Okay, I’m not fine,” she replied, frowning and sighing deeply. “I’m frustrated. I know Alice wanted to explore Vegas, but with everything that’s happening in our lives, it’s not right. I feel to exposed. With the threat of James and all … I don’t know. Maybe I’m overreacting.”

“You’re not, Bella. We’re all on edge and understandably so,” I murmured, sitting next to her and holding her hand. I kissed her palm. “Ignore Alice. And if you want to explore Vegas, I’ll take you back. We’ll do it the right way, with no constraints of the tour, security guards or our fear.”

“I’d like that, but a long, _long_ time from now,” Bella laughed, pushing the computer to me. “I started working on the changes that Larry suggested. What do you think?” I played the song, listening to the changes and made some minor tweaks before saving the work. I closed her computer, guiding her to the bed. “One-track mind, Edward.”

“No, I’m tired,” I snorted. “I want to snuggle with my wife. That’s all.”

“Is snuggling a euphemism for sex?” she deadpanned.

“Most of the time, but today? Not so much,” I said, pulling her into my arms. “Sleep, snuggle. That’s it.”

And that’s what we did. When we woke up, we ordered room service for everyone who stayed in, enjoying some delicious treats. We also asked to have some groceries delivered since there was a small kitchenette inside of the suite. Bella was craving beef stroganoff.

The next day, Bella went to the spa with the other women. They were complaining about hair and waxing and the desperate need for mani/pedis. I wanted to go down there with them, but I was dragged to the gym by Emmett, Jasper, Kellan, Ryan and Greg. I spent an hour and a half running, strength training and sparring with my brother-in-law. I was sore, but happy I worked out some of my aggressions. When I came back to my room, showering off the sweat and grime, my sister waltzed in. “Uh, Ali. Kind of naked here.”

“You’re wearing a towel,” Alice said, waving her hand. “I want to finalize the plans for Bella’s party. I’m going down to the club with Kellan and Ryan after dinner. We’re going to figure out where things are going to be and make final preparations. Purple, black and silver décor, right? A kind of Mardi Gras themed party, with masks and stuff.”

“I’m sure Bella will love it, Alice,” I said as she showed me pictures of the decorations she’d ordered.

“And present from you,” Alice retorted, arching a brow. “Bella threw you this kick ass party, getting you this amazing guitar, a motorcycle, anal sex …”

“How did you know about that?” I squeaked.

“The bike? Oh, she asked me to help with the personalization and to get it delivered to Mom and Dad’s,” Alice answered.

“Alice, that’s not what I mean,” I growled.

“She needed some _guidance_ and we were all more than happy to help,” Alice smirked, waggling her brows. “Ainsley took point on that since she actually had anal sex before, but we were just very encouraging.”

“Ugh, I really don’t want my sister to know more about my sex life,” I grumbled. “And can we continue this conversation after I get dressed?”

“I suppose,” Alice huffed, teasing and giving me a wry grin. She got up and I changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I opened the door. Alice breezed back in. “Soooooo, back to your present to your wife. Have you gotten her anything?”

“I really haven’t had time, Mary Alice, what with a psycho stalker and all,” I deadpanned.

“You little shit,” Alice spat, arching a brow. “I know you wanted to hole up in your five-star hovel, but I’m taking you out to find a present for Bella. She’s turning twenty-five and she deserves something special from you. The rest of us? Yes, we’re donating to the charities of her own choosing, but you need to get her something. I’m thinking … something unique … jewelry.”

“I already got her jewelry for our anniversary,” I said. “She said she wanted a dog.”

“You’re on tour, Edward,” Alice snickered. “When are you going to train the damn thing?”

“I have money. I’ll pay someone to train it,” I replied. “But, I think we could go shopping for a stuffed animal that will look like the dog I want to buy for her. Or will buy for her.”

“I can work with this,” Alice beamed. “Let me grab my computer and we can find a dog, having one of my assistants pick it up and put everything into gear.”

She ran out and came back with her MacBook Pro. We looked online at various shelters and found some Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies that were rescued from a puppy mill. I called the shelter, talking to them using FaceTime and picking the puppy I wanted. They were still too young and were being weaned, but would be ready to begin training in about two to three weeks.

I paid for the puppy in full, along with the initial vet bills and necessary registration for the puppy. Within an hour, I was now an owner of a female Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, that was black with accents of russet and white. We didn’t give her a name. I’d want Bella to have a say. I arranged for a FaceTime call the day after Bella’s birthday so she could see her little one.

I finished the transaction as Bella was coming back from her time at the spa. She looked relaxed and her hair was sleek and straight, hanging down over her shoulders. Alice sent me a text, saying that we would get the ‘present’ to give to Bella tomorrow after I woke up.

xx LMDC xx

“I’ve missed shopping with you, Green-Eyed Freak,” Alice chirped as we walked through the upscale shopping mall attached to the Bellagio.

“And when have I gone shopping with you, Alice? I hate shopping. With a passion,” I snorted. I was acting as her pack mule, carrying her bags from Dolce and Gabbana, Prada and other expensive boutiques. Though, I had done some shopping of my own. I had a personalized stuffed dog, looking almost like the puppy that I chose for my wife. We were currently looking for a diamond, or crystal dog collar for the stuffed dog, as well as a card shop.

“This is true, but I like having someone doing the heavy lifting,” Alice chirped. “I would have asked you, Ryan, but you said you needed your hands free.”

“I would also prefer Edward’s hands free, too,” Ryan deadpanned.

“What would I do?” I snorted. “I’m not carrying and I’m heavily disguised. I’ll be happy when I can take off this damn wig.”

“Yeah, blonde is not a good look on you, Edward,” Alice nodded. “And the glasses?”

“These are my own glasses, Alice. Don’t be dissing them. You picked them out for me, brat,” I growled. Alice rolled her eyes before pointing out a paper shop. I followed her and we found some heavy cardstock birthday cards in beautiful calligraphy. I picked a card that matched the color scheme, asking the artist to write a quote on the inside. It was a gorgeous quote by William Shakespeare: _The course of true love never did run smooth._ It was apt with the situation we were currently dealing with and it was the truth. But, true love was worth every twist and turn it presented.

After paying for the card and finding a vendor selling specialty dog collars, we went back to the hotel. Ryan, Greg and Ainsley were going to do final security checks at the club while Travis was going to act as our personal body guard in the hotel suite. Alice handed me a black garment bag and kicked me out of my suite so she could help my wife get ready. With a scowl, I went into Kellan’s suite, changing into the black suit with a deep purple dress shirt and a silver pocket square.

“Looking good, Eddie,” Emmett said. He was in a dark gray suit and a lavender dress shirt. He looked uncomfortable. He hated being all dressed up, but he was willing to do this for his sister. “I hate wearing a suit coat. It’s so confining. I’d rather be shirtless.”

“Well, you look good, too,” I smirked. “And don’t call me Eddie. I can kick your ass now.”

“Doubtful,” Emmett retorted. “Maybe I was giving you the allusion that you could kick my ass.”

“Whatever, Em,” I chuckled, pulling out a water bottle from the fridge. “I’m getting faster, stronger and more capable each session we spar.”

“I will give you that, but you’ll never beat me,” Emmett laughed, sitting down on the couch and sipping from his Coke. “Did you figure out what you’re getting my sister for her birthday? I know Alice left the spa early to talk to you.”

“With my sister’s guidance, I got something for Bella. I think, I _hope_ she’ll like it,” I said, biting my lip. “But, you’ll see it when she opens it. You have a big mouth, Emmett. I don’t want you spilling the beans.”

“I do not,” Emmett retorted, affronted.

“Yes, you do,” Jasper laughed. He was in a deep plum suit jacket with black pants, with white pinstripes. He wore a black shirt underneath. “Emmett trying to finagle Bella’s gift out of you?”

“And I told him he has to wait. Just like Bella,” I smirked. Jasper grabbed a beer, popping the cap and taking a long draw. “Did you and Nia take in any of the sights?”

“We did and we won some good money, too. All of it when to Save the Music Foundation in Bella’s name,” Jasper smiled. “I also added another $10K to St. Jude, in your wife’s name, as well.”

“She’ll be happy to hear that,” I said.

“I donated to ASPCA and the charity your dad started in Chicago for the fine arts,” Emmett nodded. “Senior was shocked when I called him, but so thankful.”

The door opened to my suite and Bella stepped out, wearing an eggplant dress that was cut asymmetrically, enhancing her sexy figure. She had on black stockings with black shoes. Her makeup was dark and sultry, making her appear dangerous and her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. When she turned, I saw she was scowling and glaring at my sister.

“Bella, it’s going with the theme. It’s a masquerade,” Alice said, holding up a black lacy mask. “We’re all going to wear one. Even the security guards.”

“We are?” Gregory hissed to Ryan. Ryan shook his head, rolling his eyes.

“Did you know about this, Edward?” Bella asked me.

“I knew about the décor, but not about the masks,” I said, looking at Alice. She was in a black dress with purple swirls dancing on the fabric. She had on a purple mask with some bling surrounding it. She looked good, but it seemed unnecessary. “Do we need to wear them?”

“Can we at least wear them for the photos?” Alice asked. “I hired a photographer. After that, we can take them off.”

“That seems fair, _cantante_ ,” I said, giving her my panty-melting grin. She made a face, tying the lacy mask around her head. It made her even sexier and my pants tighter. _Fuck. Me. Sideways._

“Was that so hard?” Alice chirped, dancing down the stairs and into Kellan’s arms. He was dressed similarly to me, but in a dark grey shirt with a black tie and a purple pocket square. “I thought I told everyone about the masks.”

“I don’t think you did, baby,” Kellan chuckled. “But, we’ll wear them until we get our picture taken and then we’ll take them off.” Alice pouted. Kellan kissed her and she was distracted. I walked over to my wife, taking her hand in mine and kissing her knuckles.

“Trying to charm me, handsome?” Bella quipped, arching a brow.

“Always, my love,” I snickered. She handed me a small black mask. I turned around and she easily attached it around my face. I helped to step down one more stair and she was level with me. I brushed my lips over hers. Alice was griping that I was fucking with her makeup but I felt Bella’s hand move from my shoulder. I pulled away, seeing my wife give Alice the finger. “You tell her, Bella. It’s your birthday.”

“And if I want to fuck up my makeup, then, I’m fucking up my makeup,” Bella giggled, picking up a black clutch and tossing in her cell phone, a small handgun and some cash. “Shall we, baby?” I smiled, offering her my arm. She latched on and I swiped the black bag filled with her present, walking to the door.

We all entered the club and it was packed. Alice must have arranged for this to be a party for the entire crew of our tour. It was weird to see some of the roadies dressed up, but they were wearing the ‘uniform’ of something black, purple, grey or silver and all had on some sort of masks. Bella beamed happily when she saw the people in attendance. She hugged Lou and chatted with some of wardrobe people, thanking them for coming.

We all gathered in front of the waterfall and with the hired photographer, we took several pictures with our crew, and opening band. Then, we took pictures as ‘Breaking Midnight’ and as couples before settling into the seats and enjoying the catered meal that was prepared for Bella’s party. We ate dinner, laughing and having fun, drinking specialty drinks and champagne. Though, Bella stuck with water since she wanted to remember her party. I followed suit, only have one drink to toast my beautiful wife and then having soda.

After dinner and Bella blowing out the candles on her masquerade cake, Lou stood up. “Now, Bella, we’re celebrating your birthday and I want to say that you and Breaking Midnight are one of the most amazing bands I’ve ever worked for in my thirty years in this business as a roadie. You guys are consummate professionals and you treat us like family. I think this is the first time we’ve been invited to a singer’s party and I’m so appreciative of that. What makes you a more beautiful, special woman is your selflessness. Alice told me what you do for your birthday, by not accepting any gifts.” Lou smiled and nodded at his right-hand man. A large check appeared from underneath the table. “We took up a collection and we donated $20,000 to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in your name, Bella. With a crew as big as this one, it added up quickly.”

“And can I add something, too?” Kellan asked. Lou nodded. “Twilight is _matching_ that donation, as well.”

“Thank you,” Lou beamed. “So, $40,000 to St. Jude in your name. I hope you celebrate and have a wonderful birthday. You are truly one of the world’s angels and I’m a better man for knowing you.”

Bella was crying by the time he was done talking, barely able to contain herself as she shot up and throwing her arms around his neck. Lou smiled softly, rocking her in his arms and rubbing her back. They spoke quietly and Bella kissed his cheek, making Lou blush a brilliant crimson. Walking back to our seat, Bella made herself comfortable on my lap. “Now, I know that you insist on everyone being philanthropic for your birthday. I couldn’t love you more for doing that, _cantante_ ,” I breathed, kissing her lips and holding her tightly. “But, I do have a present for you. Not a donation in your name, but a real present.”

“Edward, you didn’t have to,” she chided.

“I know, but it’s your birthday and I want to spoil my sexy, generous and beautiful wife,” I said, handing her the bag with her present. She smiled shyly, pulling out the card and reading the gorgeous calligraphy, tears welling as she did. “No tears, baby.”

“Happy tears. You are so fucking amazing,” she whispered, blinking away the tears and kissing me tenderly. “This is beautiful and so unique. Where did you find this card?”

“Some specialty card shop at the Bellagio,” I chuckled. “I’m glad you like it.”

She kissed my cheek and reached into the bag, pulling out a stuffed replica of her puppy with a rhinestone collar. “A stuffed animal?” she said, arching a brow. “Edward, I’m turning twenty-five, not five.”

“Look at the collar,” I said, pinching her ass. She jumped, smacking me on the chest. However, flipped it over and she gasped as she read the small scroll that was tucked inside. “Well?”

“A puppy?” she asked. “You got me a puppy.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I know you said that it would be hell to train it, but I’m paying someone to do that for us. The puppy is too small to leave the shelter. It was saved from a puppy mill.” Bella pouted, clutching the toy to her chest. “So, I went forward with it and bought her.”

“A girl?”

I nodded. “We’re going to FaceTime with the shelter tomorrow morning so you can meet our little one and give her a name.”

“What kind of dog is it?”

“A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel,” I said, beaming that she was so excited about our fur baby. “She’s the only girl, but the biggest puppy of the litter.”

“I can’t wait to meet her, Edward,” Bella breathed, her face pressed against the toy. “Thank you, baby. I know I bitched about the present, but I think this is the best one ever.” She hugged me, squeezing my neck and squealing like my sister. I laughed, holding her to my body. I was overjoyed that she liked her gift. “A puppy … definitely practice for when we have a baby. Though, we really can’t send the baby off for puppy training.”

“This is true, but I might as well make our lives easier,” I laughed. “Happy birthday, Mrs. Cullen.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cullen,” she purred. “And I hope you will let me show you how much I appreciate my present when we get back to the hotel suite.”

“Tonight, is all about you, Bella,” I said, standing us up and leading us to the dance floor. “I will be showering you with affection. And that includes nothing but orgasms. Juicy, wet and abundant orgasms.”

“Oooh, that sounds like fun. Can we go now?” Bella giggled as I moved with her to the heavy driving bass.

“No, Bella,” I snickered. I leaned forward, my lips caressing her earlobe. “I intend to make you come on the dance floor at least once before we go. Are you game?”

“Fuck me,” she panted.

“All in due time, beautiful,” I said, sliding my thigh between her legs and rolling her over my body. However, my plans were thwarted by Alice and Nia, dragging my wife away. Bella looked back at me longingly but she danced with her friends. The rest of the night was an exercise in futility. Every time I got close to Bella, she was pulled away by someone. She took it all in stride, but as midnight neared, she was determined to stay with me.

“Bella, come on. Dance with us,” Nia pouted.

“I haven’t had any time with my husband,” Bella growled. “I’ve been a good sport up until this point, but it’s my birthday and I want to dance with Edward. Go have fun with your boyfriends.” She took my hand, dragging me to the edge of the dance floor, close to the waterfall, as well as the exit. She blinked up at me, arching a brow. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to spend some quality time with you. I love them, but I need you.”

“I like the way you think,” I smirked. She picked up her bag with my present and we ducked out of the nightclub. But, before we did, I saw Emmett dancing with Ainsley and they were looking mighty cozy. I also noticed that there was a calm in his eyes that I hadn’t seen when he was with Rosalie. I grinned crookedly, happy for him and I hoped that he got a happily ever after.

Riding up to our suite, we were kissing each other and teasing. Bella’s fingers danced along my ribcage, moving further south and making my pants tighter. I was a little naughtier, gliding my fingers along her thigh and groaning when I felt her garters. “Bella,” I breathed.

“A present for you,” she said, stepping back and tugging on my hand. With my explorations, I’d spaced out and neglected to notice that the doors of the elevator had opened. We walked briskly to our suite, opening the door. I swept Bella up into my arms, needing to feel her body against mine. Plus, she was too slow in her heels. I wanted to see her. _Needed_ to see her. Using my key, I opened the door to our room, placing her on her feet. “I have one request, Edward.”

“Anything, _cantante_ ,” I murmured.

“You are my slave. My _sex_ slave. You will do everything to make me come, Edward. You will call me mistress and your duties will not end until I’ve come at least three times. Do you agree?” she asked, her voice full of authority.

“Yes, mistress,” I replied, bowing my head to her. “What is it you want me to do?”

“Take off all your clothes and kneel before me,” she said, her hands on her hips. I shrugged off my suitcoat, tossing it onto the chair behind me. Bella sat down on the bench at the edge of the bed, her legs crossed and her eyes trained on me. I unbuttoned my shirt and tugged it out of my pants. Bella licked her lips, grinning seductively as I unbuckled my belt and eased my pants off my body. “My, you’re so hard already, slave. Does disrobing for your mistress make you hard?”

“Yes, mistress,” I answered, tugging off my socks and boxer briefs. My cock bobbed, pointing to her like a divining rod. “You are the single sexiest woman on the planet.” She bit her lip, blinking up at me. I fell to my knees, bowing my head in submission. “I am yours, mistress.”

“Hmmm, I love the sound of that,” Bella purred. “You are mine and you will make me come.” She stood up, walking around me and her fingers danced along my shoulders, in my hair and just underneath my new nipple piercing. “You are so handsome, my pet. So strong and so eager to please your mistress.” I nodded, wanting to remove Bella’s dress with my teeth and see the lingerie underneath.

“What would please you, mistress?”

“Remove my dress,” she said, stopping in front of me. I looked up at her and rose to my feet. I turned her around, lowering the side zipper and easing it off her body. She wore the _sexiest_ black balconette bra that was sheer and I could see her nipples through the fabric. I pushed the dress over her hips and revealed her garter belt and lacy thong that rested on her hips. I held out my hand, helping her step out of the dress. I laid it on the chair and waited for her next set of instructions. “Look at me, Edward. What do you see? Think before you answer … I want you to be very specific.”

I nodded, looking at her and appreciating her perfect female form. I ached to touch her, to feel her silky skin beneath my fingers, to taste her body and lose myself in her, but she wanted to play. Who was I to deny my wife on her birthday? Bella gently touched my cheek, smiling at me. The smile held promises of everything carnal and I couldn’t wait to partake. “I see the woman who was made for me, with pale, firm skin. Her arms are muscular, but do not lose their femininity. Moving to her collar bones, they are apparent and I want to nibble along the column of your neck. Your breasts are aching for my touch. I can see your nipples straining through your bra.” Bella whimpered, licking her lips. “Moving lower, you have a slender waist and a gentle rise of your hips. Perfect for me to hold on to while I’m fucking you. Do you want me to fuck you, mistress?”

“Hmmm, in time,” she panted. “Lower. Describe what’s lower.”

“Just below your hips, you are wearing the most sinful garter belt and barely there panties. They are as sheer as your bra. I can see the soft curls above your pussy and I’m curious to know if you are wet for me, mistress?” I asked. Bella took my hand and guided it down her body, placing it between her legs, but over her panties. The fabric did little to quell the moisture seeping from her body. “You are. So very wet. May I make you come?”

“Not yet,” she said, removing my hand and bringing it to her lips, kissing the fingertips. “I am wet. Very wet for my lover. But, you’re not done describing.” She turned around, arching her back.

“What a beautiful, plump ass,” I breathed. “I want to spread your cheeks and see your asshole. I want to fuck it, making you come with my cock. Will you let me fuck your ass?”

“Fuck, yes,” she breathed. “I want to be filled by you, Edward. I want to cover you with my juices, claiming you as mine.” She turned around and looked at me, her eyes black with desire and her lips wet and swollen from biting on them as I made love to her vocally.

“Have I pleased you, mistress?” I asked, ducking my head.

“Immensely,” she said. “Your voice, so silky smooth and filled with desire, made me even wetter than before. For that, you’ve earned a reward.”

“What mistress?”

“I will grant you pleasure with either my hand or my mouth. Which would you desire?” she asked. I moaned, wanting both of them because I wanted to kiss her, and her giving me a hand job would let me do that, but Bella’s mouth on me was the sweetest torture. “Edward? What’s your choice?” She wrapped her hand around my erection, making me growl.

“M-M-Mouth,” I stuttered. She smiled seductively, lowering herself onto her knees. With her tongue, she traced the vein underneath my shaft. I blinked down, almost coming as I saw her staring up at me and my swollen cock being licked by her sweet tongue. “Mistress …”

“Tell me what you want, pet,” she snarled, nibbling on the head of my arousal. “You cannot touch me, but you can tell me.”

“I want your mouth all around me,” I stammered. Bella smiled before sliding her mouth down my length. I moaned, wanting to reach for her hair, but remembering that I couldn’t touch her. She used her hands to grip my hips and begin bobbing her head. Her eyes were trained on me as she swirled her tongue around my cock. “Oh, mistress … your mouth feels so good.” She worked me into oblivion but just as I was going to come, she withdrew her mouth and sat back on her haunches. “Mistress?”

“Do you want to come?” she asked, a coy smile playing on her features.

“Very much so, mistress,” I choked out.

“Show me what you do when you come without me,” Bella smirked. “Come all over me.” I growled lowly and wrapped my hand around my dick. Rolling my hand over my wet erection, I looked at her as she stared up at me with hungry eyes. I pumped my cock, feeling my balls tightening and the familiar coil within me tighten. “That’s it, my lover. Lose control. Claim me. Come on me.”

“Oh, fuck,” I groaned as my release zipped through me like a lightning bolt. She closed her eyes and my release covered her face, chest and breasts. I stopped pumping and blew out a breath, looking at my wife covered in my cum. She licked her lips, tasting what was on her mouth and running her fingers over her chest. “Holy hell, mistress, you look so beautiful covered in my cum.”

“It tastes good, too,” she said, smiling and licking her fingers. “Taste it. Taste it from my skin, Edward.” I fell to my knees, kissing her lips and biting back a possessive growl from passing through my lips. It was salty and slightly unpleasant, but it was hot to do this with her. Breaking apart, she told me to get a washcloth to remove the rest. I was slightly thankful for that. I don’t know how she swallows that all the time. I tenderly removed the remnants of my orgasm off her and she stood up, kissing me sweetly. “Thank you for taking care of me, lover.”

“It was my pleasure, mistress. Also, thank you for allowing me the pleasure of your mouth,” I said. Bella ran her fingers down my jaw and her eyes softened. “Now, I am your willing servant. What would you like next, mistress?”

“I want your mouth on me,” she replied, unclasping her bra and tossing it carelessly onto the floor. I walked to her, pulling her flush to my chest. Bella’s eyes widened and she placed her hands on my shoulders. “I wasn’t done, Edward.”

“I was eager to please you, mistress,” I replied, dipping my head and kissing her neck. She melted and held onto me. I moved mouth along the column of her neck, tasting her sweet flesh. My hands were splayed around her body, caressing her silky skin. I bent down, picking her up and carrying her to the bed. I lay her on the bed, hovering over her. “Where do you want my mouth on you, mistress?”

“Everywhere,” she pleaded, looking at me hungrily. “Make me come, Edward. Please?”

I kissed her aggressively, tasting her lips and tearing her panties from her body. She whimpered, spreading her legs for me. My fingers moved down her belly and I slid them through her folds. She was not wet. Bella was _drenched_. I pulled away and kissed down her body before tugging her to the edge of the bed. I tossed her legs over my shoulders, spreading her thighs and staring at her bare, pink, seeping pussy. I kissed her inner thighs, sucking on the sensitive skin there and she whimpered. Then, I plunged my tongue deep inside her and she screamed out, her juices coating my tongue.

_That’s one._

Moving my tongue from her slit, I circled it around her clit. I swirled my tongue all around, tasting and devouring her. Bella was rocking against me, her hands buried in my hair, holding me between her legs. I kept my mouth on her until she came again, shuddering all around me and screaming in pleasure.

_Number two … Damn, Cullen, you’ve got one talented tongue._

Bella was panting heavily, laying on the bed like a broken doll. “Holy hell, Edward. When did you learn that butterfly thing with your tongue?” she panted.

“You like that?” I asked, crawling up and laying on my side.

“Uh, the two intense orgasms you gave me weren’t clue enough?” she laughed, smacking my belly. She blinked down, seeing my arousal. It had grown as I was buried between Bella’s thighs, inhaling her scent and tasting her succulent nectar. “Make love to me, Edward.”

“Always, mistress,” I said, rolling her onto her side and lifting her leg. Easily, I slid into her tight pussy and moaned. “Fuck, I will never get tired of that, _cantante_. I love that I was your only and that it’s only me that’s ever claimed you.”

“And it will only ever be you, Edward,” she smiled, kissing me and tugging on my hair. I rocked against her, my hands roaming over her body and holding her leg up while I took her from behind. “More, baby. What only _we_ share.” I stopped my moving and slid out of her. I was coated with her arousal. She held her leg while I teased her rosette. She bit her lip as the head of my cock pushed past her entrance. “Yes, Edward. Take me …”

“Slowly, my love,” I said, pushing into her and stopped when I was fully seated inside. “Are you okay?” She nodded and I began rocking in her. I slid my hand down her belly, rolling her clit with my fingertips while I fucked her ass. She was moaning, loudly and rocking against me. I eased two fingers into her pussy, biting down on her neck as I felt her juices flowing freely out of her. “Fuck, Bella.”

“Yes, do that. Fuck Bella,” she pleaded.

“You want that, mistress?” I asked.

“Yes,” she snarled, looking at me. I growled, pulling her up onto her knees and began pounding into her relentlessly. Her fingers took over where I stopped. I felt her hand slid between her folds, moving in tandem with my thrusts. “Oh, God. I’m so wet. I want to come again. I want to cover you with my cum. Harder, Edward. Fuck me harder.” I eagerly complied, watching my dick disappear in her ass. Her hand was moving deeply inside her pussy and she gasped. “Shit, oh SHIT! I’m coming. Don’t stop, Edward. Please, don’t fucking stop.”

“Never,” I hissed, holding onto her hips and feeling her body quake. With a scream, she pushed me out and her pussy gushed all over my cock and upper thighs. I grinned, watching as she came all over me. But, I wasn’t done. Once she calmed enough, I slid my hardness back into her and began thrusting, allowing my own orgasm to build.

“In me. In my pussy,” she begged. “Please, Edward.”

I slid out of her ass and into her pussy, slamming into her and with a roar, filling her pussy with my cum. “FUCK!” I yelled, tightening my arms around her waist and collapsing against her back. I pressed kisses along her spine as I languidly slowed my thrusts, falling out of her. My knees buckled and I fell onto the floor, panting and breathless. Bella fell onto her stomach, rolling onto her side. I lay down because I was still seeing stars.

“Are you going to sleep on the floor, Edward?” Bella asked, looking down at me with a sexy grin on her face.

“Give me a second. I’m …” I said, holding up a finger. “You and your sexiness fucked the strength out of me, beautiful.”

Bella shifted, removing her shoes and stockings, which had stayed on while we made love. She also shimmied out of the garter belt, standing in front of me, naked as the day she was born. “Come on, Edward. Let’s get showered and then collapse. I’m just as tired, and _sore_ from our love making.” She held out her hands and helped me to my feet. I took her to our bathroom, running a bath. We sat in the tub for an hour, allowing the jets work out our muscles before we clambered into our bed. “Thank you, Edward. For the puppy and for playing with me. Not many men would have …”

“I’m not just any man,” I replied, kissing her forehead. “I love you, Bella.”

“I love you more, baby,” she yawned, snuggling against me.

xx LMDC xx

The next morning, Bella and I had breakfast in bed, not wanting to talk to our family and band mates. I also called the shelter and Bella spent the entire call cooing over the little puppy. She seemed to perk up at the sound of Bella’s voice, her tail wagging and trying to kiss the computer screen. Bella also wanted to reach through the computer to snuggle her fur baby. We also gave the puppy a name _, Aria._

After breakfast and prying Bella away from the computer, we took another shower and went down to the main living space. Emmett was eating some breakfast, a small smile on his face. Jasper and Nia were watching a movie and Alice was typing on her computer. Bella hugged my sister, kissing her head and thanking her for a beautiful party.

“I can’t believe you left early, though,” Alice grumbled.

“I had another engagement to attend to,” Bella said, giving me a wink.

“I don’t want to know,” Alice laughed, “but, I’m glad you had fun. We’ll top it next year, though.”

“No, we won’t,” Bella snickered, sitting down next to her brother. “I only went along with the party because we were in Las Vegas. Next year, that will be low key. Maybe a barbeque at the house or a quiet dinner but no big blow outs like this. Where’s Kellan?”

“He had to make sure that everything was set up correctly at the venue. He got a text from Lou saying that there was something wonky with the lighting,” Alice shrugged. “I’m working on accommodations for the last leg of the tour. My assistant is also making arrangements for the puppy.”

“The puppy’s name is Aria,” Bella chirped.

“So, cute,” Alice cooed, making weird faces. “Do you have pictures of Aria?” Bella pulled out phone, showing the pictures the shelter sent us. “She looks almost the exact same as the stuffed animal you bought, Edward.”

“Uh, that was the point of searching forever for the stuffed animal, Mary Alice,” I scoffed.

Bella’s phone chirped, as did mine. Alice handed back the phone. “We got a text from Kellan. There’s something wrong at the venue and he needs us to come down,” Bella read.

“Okay, I’ll call Ryan,” I said. Another text came through. My guitar that Bella had gotten me for my birthday was destroyed and I was pissed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Edward, I’ll get you a new guitar,” Bella whispered, her fingers threading through mine.

“Alice, call Ryan and have them meet us at the venue. Come on, Bella,” I said, tugging her away. I picked up my credentials and wallet as we left the suite. Emmett and Alice were yelling us to stay, but I wasn’t having it. “Whoever fucked up? They’re fired.”

“Edward, it’s just a guitar,” Bella sighed. Her phone chirped and her keyboard appeared on the screen. “Fuck. No.”

“The sooner we get there, the sooner we can deal with this nonsense and get ready for the show tonight,” I sneered, hailing a cab from the lobby and gave instructions to go the MGM Grand. “And you’re not getting me the guitar. The person who broke the guitar will be getting me the guitar, damn it.”

If only the guitar and the keyboard were the only problem …

**A/N: Is the guitar and keyboard the only problem? Leave me your thoughts.**

**Now, pictures of Bella’s birthday are on my blog. The link for that is on my profile. I’m also on Facebook, Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.**

**Up next … well, keep your eyes peeled and you’ll find out what’s next. Hold onto your hats, kids.**


	25. ... Doesn't Necessarily STAY in Vegas

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Hold onto your hats, kids … _just saying._**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: … Doesn’t Necessarily STAY in Vegas**

**EPOV**

Bella’s phone chirped, as did mine. Alice handed back the phone. “We got a text from Kellan. There’s something wrong at the venue and he needs us to come down,” Bella read.

“Okay, I’ll call Ryan,” I said. Another text came through. My guitar that Bella had gotten me for my birthday was destroyed and I was pissed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Edward, I’ll get you a new guitar,” Bella whispered, her fingers threading through mine.

“Alice, call Ryan and have them meet us at the venue. Come on, Bella,” I said, tugging her away. I picked up my credentials and wallet as we left the suite. Emmett and Alice were yelling us to stay, but I wasn’t having it. “Whoever fucked up? They’re fired.”

“Edward, it’s just a guitar,” Bella sighed. Her phone chirped and her keyboard appeared on the screen. “Fuck. No.”

“The sooner we get there, the sooner we can deal with this nonsense and get ready for the show tonight,” I sneered, hailing a cab from the lobby and gave instructions to go the MGM Grand. “And you’re not getting me the guitar. The person who broke the guitar will be getting me the guitar, damn it.”

If only the guitar and the keyboard were the only problem …

**BPOV**

We rode in tense silence to the venue at the MGM Grand. Edward’s hands were in rigid claws and I was just as angry. I thought that we were passed this, but apparently not. Yes, things got damaged in transit, but the guitar and keyboard had special cases to prevent these issues.

_Or could it be a ruse?_

“Edward, what if this is a set up?” I asked.

“A set up? James?” he retorted, arching a brow over his glasses.

“We’re going in there, half-cocked. It could be a trap,” I said, my fear coming back.

“Ryan is meeting us,” Edward said, sliding his arm around my body. “But it does seem suspect that Kellan just didn’t fix the problem. He’s pretty resourceful. It could be that these instruments have a personal tie to us, he wanted us to be aware of the issue.”

“It doesn’t seem like Kellan,” I said, reaching into my bag and grumbling when I discovered that I’d left my gun in my purse from yesterday evening. “Do you have your …” I held up my hand like a weapon. Edward blanched, shaking his head. “You have your cell phone?”

“Yeah. You, too?”

I nodded, putting it into my pocket of my jeans. They were a little tight. All of the home cooked meals were catching up with me. I’d have to get back into shape, jogging and eating healthy. We arrived at the MGM Grand. We showed our credentials and were granted access to the venue. The set up was nearly complete. Edward took my hand and we went inside, heading backstage to check our equipment. “Kellan?” Edward called out. “Dude, we’re here.”

There was no response and we made our way onto the stage. We stepped over the speakers and cords, making our way to the green room. We looked around, unable to find Kellan. “Maybe he’s in the bathroom?” I suggested.

“I’ll go check,” Edward said, ducking into the men’s room attached to the green room. He came back out, a puzzled expression on his face. He shook his head and helped me to the rear of the venue, the garage where the tour buses and big rigs that carried our stage, lights and instruments were located. “This is weird. There’s no crew and Kellan is missing in action.”

My phone chirped. “It’s from Kellan,” I said. “He said he’s on the stage. He had to address something at the box office, but is back on stage.”

“Come on,” Edward grumbled. We threaded fingers and made our way back through the maze to the stage. We made our way onto the stage and I gasped.

“Long time, no see, bitch,” James sneered. He was standing casually on the stage, with his foot on an unconscious Kellan. Or was he dead? _Please don’t let him be dead. He can’t be._ His face was bloodied and he was tied up. “And Mr. Bitch.”

“James,” Edward sneered. “It was you … you did this.”

“Hmmm, guilty,” he shrugged, kicking Kellan and he rolled onto his stomach. “You didn’t respond to my present and so I had to take action. It took time, but it’s finally fucking paid off.” He glared at us, unzipping his black sweatshirt. “In more ways than one …” Strapped to his chest was a vest with wires and who knows what else. “You will pay me and you will stay alive. You don’t and we’re all dead. I refuse to be second fiddle anymore. You fucked me over.” He strode over Kellan and tried to reach me. Edward pushed me behind him. “You won’t let me fuck her? I bet her pussy is nice and tight.”

“Never,” I snarled.

“We’ll see,” James chuckled. He took out a control from the pocket, flipping the switch. “Now, give me my fucking money. I’m not a patient man.” He pursed his lips, before an evil grin spread over his face. “Or, perhaps I should wait until this entire arena is filled with your mindless minions. I could make it go KABOOM, killing everyone in here.”

“No, please. Let me call Alice or Nia so we could cancel the concert,” Edward said, pleading and anxious. His hands were shaking. Hell, my whole body was shaking and I was sick to my stomach. “No one else has to die.”

“You ain’t calling nobody,” James sneered. “You could be calling the cops and then, I’d be pissed off. Do you want to know what happens when I get pissed off?” He waved the trigger angrily.

“If we can’t call anybody, how can we get you your money?” I asked, moving from behind my husband. Edward tried to stop me but I moved closer to Kellan and James. Thankfully, I saw Kellan’s chest moving and I was grateful he was still alive. “Do you think I have a magic wand to poof the money into your account?”

James glowered at me. “Don’t be coy with me, bitch.”

“I’m not. I’m merely stating facts, James,” I spat. “You’re waving a trigger to a bomb strapped to your chest. If you want the money to be transferred and this whole thing to be over, it would be in your best interest to let me make a god damned phone call to get that money over to you. Do you want to move on with your life or do you want to spend the rest of your days stalking us like the psychotic ass you are?”

James ran to me, trying to hit me, but Edward tugged me behind his body and glared at James. “Don’t even think of hitting her, asshole. We know what you did to Victoria.”

“You figured it out. I didn’t torch your sister-in-law,” James snorted. “Pity … I bet she would have been a fun fuck, too.”

 “You didn’t fuck Victoria. You tortured her,” I growled.

“She liked it,” James said, waving a hand dismissively.

 _Unlikely_ , I thought to myself. “Now, do you want your money or not?”

“Let’s get the ball rolling,” James said, crossing his arms and smirking. “Time for retribution.”

xx LMDC xx

**EmPOV**

I was sitting in the main living room. Edward and Bella had left forty-five minutes ago to deal with whatever drama at the arena. I was flipping through the channels. As I was, Ainsley came in, smiling coyly. I returned her smile, remembering our flirtations the night before, but she knew that I wasn’t quite ready to start something. In time, I could see myself with this girl, but for now, flirting, talking and dancing seemed to be the extent of our relationship.

My phone rang on the table. Picking it up, I saw my sister’s number. “Isabelly,” I sang. “Ready for tonight?”

“I need to make an electronic transfer,” Bella said, her voice tight and shaking.

“Bella?” I whispered. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“From our private accounts to a James Hunter,” she choked out. “Account number, 4199-2044-7843-17, Cayman National Bank.”

I snapped my fingers to Ainsley and pressed the speaker button. “Can you repeat the name?” I squeaked, looking at Ainsley.

“I apologize. I’m in a bad cell location, but to James Hunter. Do you need the account number again?” Bella asked.

“I got that,” I growled. Jasper came in, his eyes wide and his face pale. “What amount?”

“$20,000,000,” she replied. “ _As soon as possible.”_

“I got it, Isabelly. We’re on our way,” I barked. I blinked up and saw Ainsley on the phone, talking to the local police department. Jasper was dragging Travis out of his suite. I told him about the phone call and his eyes widened.

“They went somewhere without protection?”

“Ryan was following them, but I tried his cell phone and it went straight to voice mail,” Ainsley said. “That’s when I called the cops. How should we proceed?”

“We need to get inside that location and bring this guy down,” Travis said. He went back into his hotel room, strapping on a bulletproof vest and his badge attached to his belt. “Do you have a vest, Ainsley?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. She darted out of the suite and returned, dressed all in black with a vest around her petite body. Strapped around her thigh was a gun. Travis arched a brow. “I want this done as much as you do.”

“I should be calling ATF on you. That shit is illegal,” Travis grumbled, checking his own weapon. They got up to leave.

“What about us?” Jasper grumbled.

“That’s my fucking sister,” I snarled. “She’s being held captive by this monster … I should be there!”

“No, you need to stay here if she calls again,” Travis explained.

“It’s a cell phone, genius,” Jasper said. He swiped his wallet and dared Travis to stop him. “We’re going.”

“What about Alice and Nia?” I asked. “Edward is Alice’s brother and Kellan is MIA.”

“We don’t have time for this. Ainsley, get Greg to get them over to the MGM Grand. Also, call the casino and inform them of a situation. We need it to go on lock down,” Travis said. He narrowed his eyes at us. “Let’s go.”

xx LMDC xx

**BPOV**

“It’s done,” I said, erasing the call history in case he checked to see if I really called my bank. “By the end of business today, you’ll have your money.”

“Good,” James said, sitting down and putting his feet up on Kellan’s torso. “It was fucking exhausting, trailing you for all this time. I lost you for a couple of weeks after my wonderful display outside of Oklahoma City. You took down your tour schedule. Didn’t put it back up.”

“We had to make adjustments for the dates we’d canceled,” Edward snarled, his eyes narrowed at James. “You put so many people in danger, James. Do you realize that? All because of your petty greed.”

“It’s not fucking petty. Because of your actions, I lost my job and my livelihood,” James snapped. “I worked my ass off for that position at Emerson University. I’m a good teacher.”

“No, you’re not,” I scoffed. “You were rude and had little patience for anyone who didn’t understand the concepts you taught. Couple that with your _staring_ problem, it was a recipe for disaster. Plus, you went off on me. I was nineteen years old, James. A kid … you’re what? Thirty-five, thirty-six? You were older than me and should have been understanding, but you looked at me like I was your next meal. It made me uncomfortable and I was well within my rights to complain to the university.”

James seethed and kicked Kellan, who groaned. He shot up, pacing the length of the stage. “You should have left well enough alone, you bitch,” James sneered, glaring at me angrily.

“Look, you got your money. Why don’t we just move on?” I said, holding up my hands. “Let us go.”

“Not until I see that money in my account,” he said. He looked back at me and narrowed his eyes. “Or, we could come to another arrangement. You let me fuck you.”

“I’d rather swallow a bottle of hydrochloric acid,” I spat. I got up and moved by my husband. He slid his arms around me, his anger oozing out of him as he gave James the death glare. We sat in silence. James was panting heavily, grumbling under his breath. Edward was holding me tightly, keeping me far away from James. If he’d had his way, he’d push me out of the venue, but James’ finger on that trigger was stopping all of us. Plus, Kellan was unconscious. He was a good friend and I was not going to be responsible for his death.

I had enough guilt for the loss of Victoria, even if she was a whore who forced herself on my husband. But, still, she didn’t need to die for her crimes.

James checked his cell phone, glowering. “Where’s my money?”

“it’s going to take time to reach the account, James. Relax,” I said, feigning nonchalance. I was freaking out and my stomach was churning. I wanted nothing more than to be with Edward, in our bed, cuddling our new puppy. I needed this nightmare to be over.

We sat in the arena for an hour and a half. Kellan drifted in and out of consciousness. I was worried about him. He needed a doctor. And with each passing minute, James was growing more and more anxious about his money. It still hadn’t arrived into his account on the Cayman Islands.

“Call your bank again,” James snarled, almost two hours since I’d called the bank, AKA, my brother. “This is the account number. Do it, bitch, or your friend gets a bullet to the brain.” James removed a gun from his pants, holding it to Kellan’s head.

I took out my phone, showing it to him. “The battery’s dead, James,” I said. James cocked the trigger.

“Fuck me, you cunt, call the god damned bank!” James screamed, clearly unhinged. Edward handed me his phone, which had power. I dialed Emmett again. I reiterated the information about the transfer. Emmett said that they were working their way into the arena, but trying to do so without raising suspicion. I asked him to hurry because James was getting anxious. With a roar, James moved the gun from Kellan’s head and shot it up in the air. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a door open and shadows scurry in the arena. James turned the gun on me. I held my hands up, my fear really getting the best of me. “If it’s not in there in a half hour, you’re dead, Isabella.”

There was a shuffle and James turned around, his eyes moving, darting as he searched for the location of the sound. He growled, grabbing Edward’s arm and holding him to his chest. “Who’s there?” he screamed. “I will kill him, you fuckers.”

“James, you’re imagining things,” I said, looking at my husband. He looked unruffled, but his eyes were filled with fear. “You probably caused some damage to the lighting or the rigging holding the lights when you shot off that bullet.”

“You lie,” James screamed. “You fucking lie.” He pressed the gun against Edward’s temple. Things were escalating quickly. I was starting to lose control. I wanted this over. I wanted my husband safe in my arms. I wanted …

_It doesn’t matter what you want. End this, Isabella._

Blinking over, I saw Kellan moving and blinking slowly. His gaze was unfocused. I went to go to him, but James was ranting and glaring all over the arena. I couldn’t move. Kellan sat up, woozy and pale, even under the beating that James had given him. His hands were bound in front of him. Shaking his head, he reached under his jeans, producing a switch blade. James was still screaming at the invisible people in his mind.

I pleaded for James to stop. My cries fell on deaf ears. It only spurred him on.

Kellan used the blade and untied his hands. He rubbed his temples, flipping the switch blade. He looked at me, his eyes contrite. _I’m so sorry, Bella,_ he mouthed. I shook my head and pressed my hands to my chest. Kellan blew out a breath, turning to look at James, who was becoming more and more unhinged. I feared for my husband, who had a gun pointed to his temple. I could see a bruise forming on his face.

Kellan hopped up as James had his back turned to us. I shook my hands, not wanting him to get hurt. Kellan smirked, glaring at James. When the time was right, with some space between Edward and James, Kellan sprang to action and tackled James. The fell of the stage, rolling on the ground. Edward fell onto his knees. He watched as Kellan and James rolled around the floor, fighting for the detonator. While they were fighting, several people stood up and made their way down the aisles, stealthy and quiet.

Edward got to me, holding me in his arms and moving us onto the stage and into the wings. Kellan and James stood up. James started punching Kellan and I squeaked, wanting to help him. “No, Bella,” Edward hissed. “We have to …”

“He’s going to be killed,” I cried. A shot rang out and I screamed. The scuffle ended. James was on the ground, clutching his belly and moaning. Kellan was standing over him, holding the detonator. Kellan fell to his knees. Edward and I scrambled from behind the wings. He hopped down onto the ground and saw that Kellan had blood pouring out of his shoulder.

“Kellan,” Edward said, pushing him down. “Don’t move, man. Stay with me.”

“I got it,” he panted, holding the detonator. He was a sickly gray as Edward pressed his hands over his wound. Kellan grimaced. “That hurts.”

“I’d rather it hurt than you bleed out,” Edward argued. We blinked up and saw members of a SWAT team come inside. One of the men took the detonator from Kellan’s hand. Kellan physically went limp and Edward started yelling. “He’s not breathing!”

I scrambled down and pressed my fingers to Kellan’s neck. He had a thready pulse, but he wasn’t breathing. Edward placed his hands on Kellan’s chest, beginning CPR. I began rescue breathing until paramedics could arrive. We worked on Kellan for a few minutes and stepped back when the first responders arrived. I looked at James. He also had a team of paramedics working on him. His vest had been removed and tossed to the side.

“That’s a bomb,” Edward wheezed, pointing to it. “He had a detonator.”

“It wasn’t a bomb,” said one of the cops. “He filled containers with Mountain Dew.”

“Is he going to make it?” I asked, looking down at him and wrinkling my nose. He had been intubated and he looked dead. But, he had a heartbeat, unfortunately.

“He’s stable for now, but he should survive. He’ll have issues, but he’ll survive,” said one of the paramedics. He blinked up and grimaced at Edward. “You should come to the hospital, sir. You may have a concussion.”

“Please, take care of Kellan first,” Edward said, sliding his arms around me and leaning against me. I held him up, but the adrenaline which had kept me strong was fading fast.

“ISABELLY!” screamed Emmett. He made his way down the aisle and hopped over the barricade. He swept me into his arms, holding me tightly. “Oh, sis, are you okay? Please say you’re okay!”

“I’m okay, Emmett,” I breathed, holding onto my brother. He checked me out, patting my face and arms, doing a physical inspection. “I’m okay. He didn’t touch me. He just called me names and threatened me. Edward and Kellan got the brunt of his ire.”

Travis came down, surveying the situation. He watched as they loaded up Kellan into one ambulance and James into another. Another paramedic was checking Edward and insisted we got to the hospital. I pushed my husband into the back of the ambulance, hopping inside to ride with him. Travis said he’d be down to take our statements after they did a complete inspection of the arena. I gave him a glare, pissed off that this had happened in the first place. Pissed off at Pandora.

How did James get past all of our security?

At the hospital, Kellan was brought up, immediately to surgery. The bullet that had gone through his body had nicked something, causing him to stop breathing. Nia met us at the emergency room, acting as Kellan’s medical proxy. Alice was by her side, nervous and scared for her boyfriend. I was just as anxious. Kellan couldn’t die. He was like another brother and he was a part of our family.

Edward, however, was far luckier. He did have a mild concussion and some bruised ribs, but he would make a full recovery. “Oh, thank you _GOD,_ ” I said, crawling into his hospital gurney. “I was terrified when James held that gun to your head, Edward.”

“I’m okay,” he whispered, pressing his lips to my temple. I closed my eyes, but I saw James, his hatred and his maniacal pacing. I shot up, running down the hall and throwing up the contents in my stomach. I kept heaving and sobbing, overwhelmed that it was over. Edward must have gotten out of bed and was rubbing my back. “Let it go, love. We’re safe. We’re okay.”

I fell onto my ass, wiping my sweaty face. “Is it?” I asked. I looked up at him, seeing the horrific bruise on his temple and I threw up again. A nurse came into the bathroom, with some water. “I’m sorry.”

“Sweetie, we see more vomit, blood, urine and shit than we care to admit,” she snorted. “I know that you’re dealing with an overwhelming trauma. It’s okay to throw up.”

“This isn’t the first time she’s thrown up,” Edward tattled. I smacked his arm. “She’s been feeling off for a while.”

“How long is a while?” the nurse asked, arching a brow.

“My stomach has been unsettled for a couple of months,” I said, sighing heavily. “It’s gotten worse since our anniversary, in mid-August.”

“Come on,” she said to Edward. “Out you go. Back to your room and lay down. You’ve got a head injury.”

“What? Why?” Edward grumbled. The nurse arched a brow and he begrudgingly left.

“Could you be pregnant?” asked the nurse.

“I took a pregnancy test when I was checked out by a doctor in Chicago in mid-August. I wasn’t pregnant,” I said. She huffed, leaving me in the bathroom. She came back with a test. “Pee on this?”

“I’ll start a chart,” she said, giving me a wry grin. Closing the door, I tugged off my jeans and somehow managed to pee on the stick. I didn’t think I was pregnant, but with my hormones acting all wonky, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was. Perhaps, something good would come out of all of this. Walking out of the bathroom, I handed the nurse the test. She helped me to Edward’s room and ordered us both some food. I picked at it, wrinkling my nose at the smell. Edward’s head hurt too much for him to eat, so he just held me.

Another nurse came an hour later, taking some blood from me and she left swiftly. Edward was snoring quietly. I wanted to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw Kellan on the ground, bleeding out. I heard James’ evil voice, taunting me and calling me names, threatening my family, my life. I leaned back, snuggling against my husband. His eyes opened blearily and he kissed my forehead. “Love you, _cantante_ ,” he said.

“I love you more, baby,” I whispered. I closed my eyes, listening to Edward’s steady heartbeat, lulling me asleep.

xx LMDC xx

“Mr. Cullen? Mrs. Cullen? Please, wake up,” said a male voice. Edward shot up, bringing me with him. He cradled me, looking around and trying to protect me. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

Edward glared at him. “What do you want?” he snarled.

“I’m Dr. Scott and I’m here to tell you that you are free to go, Mr. Cullen,” Dr. Scott said nervously. “But, Mrs. Cullen, we need to run further tests.”

“What tests? Why?” I asked. “I’m fine. Overtired and emotionally exhausted, but fine.”

“Physically, you’re totally okay, but we need to determine your condition,” Dr. Scott stammered.

“Condition? What are you talking about?” Edward snapped.

“Oh, no one has spoken to you,” Dr. Scott chuckled, running his hand through his hair. “It appears that you’re expecting, Mrs. Cullen.”

“Expecting what?” I asked, my sleep-addled brain confused.

“A baby,” Dr. Scott said slowly. “You’re pregnant.” He waited a beat. “We want to give you an ultrasound to determine your conception date. But, based on your hormone levels, you may be about two months along.”

Edward and I blinked at each other, shocked at the news from the doctor. “A baby,” I squeaked. “But, I had a test a little over a month ago … it was negative.”

“You probably didn’t have any indicators in your urine or your blood sample. It was probably very early in the pregnancy,” Dr. Scott explained. “I would suggest you see your normal OB/GYN, but you are very much pregnant.” An older nurse came in, rolling in the ultrasound machine. “Would you like to see your baby?”

I nodded. Edward moved and helped me onto the gurney. I pulled up my shirt and unbuttoned my jeans, pushing them over my hips. Dr. Scott put some gel on my still flat tummy and ran the wand over me. He narrowed his eyes, pressing it to me and smiled. “There,” he said, pointing to a black part of the screen and clear outline of a little human. “There’s your baby.”

Edward and I stared at the miracle growing inside me. I reached for it, tracing the baby’s profile. “We’re pregnant,” I breathed. I looked up at Edward. He was crying, giving me a crooked smile, kissing me reverently.

“Here’s the baby’s heartbeat,” Dr. Scott said, turning on the speakers. There was a fast whoosh-whoosh sound, filling our room.

“It’s so fast,” I mused. “Is that normal?”

“About 160 beats a minute. And yes, it’s perfectly normal,” Dr. Scott chuckled. “But, it looks like you may be further along than I anticipated. Maybe closer to three months.” He printed off several pictures and handed them to us. “Congratulations. I’m going to give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins and an iron pill. You are anemic. Have you been feeling light-headed? Dizzy?”

“A little,” I shrugged.

“You need to take it easy. Your body is going through some radical changes. Listen to it,” Dr. Scott said. He wiped off my belly and stood up. “You’re both free to go. Make sure you have someone wake you up every couple of hours, Mr. Cullen. Just to ensure that you don’t slip into a coma.” He nodded, signing the chart.

“A baby,” Edward whispered, sitting down next to me and pressing his hands on my belly. Now that we knew, I could feel the difference. My stomach was harder and slightly rounded. He massaged my tummy. “We’re pregnant.” He kissed my stomach. “Hey, nugget. I’m your daddy and I can’t wait to meet you.”

“Nugget,” I chuckled.

“Shhhh, I’m having a moment with our child,” he smirked, pressing another sweet kiss to my belly before tugging my shirt over my belly. He sat back, leaning forward and brushing his lips over mine. “Today … it’s been a nightmare. With James … and the uncertainty with Kellan, but knowing this?”

“I know,” I said, tugging on his hand. He slid his arms around my body and held me. I closed my eyes, letting my emotions flow out. Tears soaked his shirt.

“It’s over, baby,” he whispered, his hands gently rubbing my back. I blew out a breath and wiped my cheeks. Edward got some tissues, handing them to me. I blew my nose, looking up at him. “It’s over.”

“Should we tell everyone about the baby?” I asked.

“Let’s keep it to ourselves for now,” he answered. The first nurse that helped me came in with a bag. “What’s this?”

“Some pain killers for you. You’re going to have a killer headache,” she said, smirking at Edward. “And this is a months-supply of prenatal vitamins and iron pills.”

“Thank you,” I smiled, taking the medications.

“And you’re free to go, but your friends are up in the surgical wing,” she explained. “Take the south elevators up to the fourth floor.” Arching a brow at me, she continued. “And stop at the cafeteria before you head up. You need to stay healthy.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I snickered. She smiled, leading us out of the emergency department. Edward tugged me to the cafeteria and he practically shoved a hamburger down my throat, along with a salad and some frozen yogurt. I was hungry and ate as much as I could, focusing mainly on the frozen yogurt.

That shit was delicious.

After our meal, we went up to the surgical floor. Alice, Nia, and Jasper were sitting the waiting room. “Where’s Emmett?” I asked.

“Talking to the police and FBI,” Jasper said, hugging me and kissing my cheek. “He also called Charlie.”

“I called Mom, Dad and Senior,” Alice sniffled, looking pale and nervous. “They’re all on their way.”

“Have you heard anything?” I asked. “About Kellan or James?”

“James is at another hospital,” Nia said, her voice empty. “His injuries were far more severe and they brought him to a trauma center associated with UNLV. That was per Travis and the local police department.”

“How did he get in?” Edward asked.

“We don’t know,” Jasper shrugged, “but I think that Travis and the police have an idea. They just haven’t told us.” He looked at Edward, grimacing. “Damn, that is one huge shiner.”

“I did have a gun pressed to my head, Jas,” Edward deadpanned, sitting down and holding me on his lap. I shuddered, remembering that and thinking of the worst. Edward felt my trembling body and he kissed my jaw. “It didn’t happen, my love. I’m okay. I’ll gladly take a shiner over death.”

“Don’t leave me, Edward,” I whispered.

“Never,” he smiled. “I have too much to live for.” He placed his hand on my belly and sighed contentedly. I snuggled back against him.

Emmett came back, his face disgruntled and angry. He saw me and pulled me out of Edward’s arms, hugging me tightly. He kissed my head and sighed. He did the same with Edward, frowning at the bruise on his face. “What did the police want?”

“Just asked some bullshit questions,” he grumbled. “Travis wants to talk to us and share what he knows, but not until they have more answers or have a chance to interview James.” He just sat back, pinching his nose. “I’m just grateful it’s over.”

“What about the concert?” I asked.

“I called Adele,” Nia said. “She’s canceling it and is flying out to discuss the plan. Do we continue? Cancel the remainder of the tour?”

“Those are questions we need to think about, but not now,” I said. “We need to focus on your brother. Have you heard anything?”

“He was stable when they brought him in, but were concerned about his prolonged unconsciousness,” Nia answered, wrinkling her nose. “How long was he out?”

“He was down for most of the time we were there. He only regained consciousness when the cops started to invade the arena,” I said. “He could have been drugged.”

“That’s what the doctors are hoping,” Nia sighed. “It wouldn’t be as worrisome as him being knocked out from James’ blows.” She looked down at her phone. “Our parents are on the way, too. They should be here by early tomorrow morning.” Jasper wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. She snuggled closer to him and sniffled.

Emmett got up, sitting down to Alice and draping his arms over her shoulders. She leaned against him, twisting a ring on her finger. We stayed in the waiting room for an hour before a doctor came out. “Family for Kellan Moore?”

Nia stood up, grabbing Alice’s hand and dragging her to the doctor. He led them into a small conference room.

“That’s never good,” Jasper hissed.

“Don’t think like that,” Edward frowned. “He’s strong.” The door opened and Alice and Nia walked out, looking relieved. “See? They probably just wanted to give them some privacy.” The three of them walked over to us. Nia ran over to Jasper, sliding her arms around his neck. “What’s the news?”

“He’s fine. In every way he can be,” the doctor answered. “We did a tox screen and he was drugged. You don’t have to worry about a head injury. It was a minute amount, but enough to knock him out. In regard to his injury, we fixed the damage and he’ll make a full recovery. He will need physical therapy, but he’ll be fine.”

“Can he see visitors?” Alice asked.

“He’s in recovery and will be brought up to ICU in a few hours,” the doctor explained. “By then, visiting hours will be over. My suggestion is that you go home or back to the hotel. We’ll call you if there’s any change.”

“You have my cell number?” Nia asked, her brows furrowed.

“We do, Ms. Moore,” he replied. “Right now, Kellan needs to rest.”

Nia sighed, nodding. We got up and left the hospital in the SUV that Emmett swiped from Pandora Security. He drove us back to the Wynn and we dragged our exhausted bodies up to the hotel suite. Travis was inside, his face haunted. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be hovering next to James? Find out what the fuck happened?” Edward snapped. “How did he get past all of this security, Travis?”

“We’re still investigating,” Travis said, blinking up at my husband. He grimaced when he saw his bruise. “But, I just got off the phone with the detective assigned to James at the hospital.”

“Were they interviewing him?” I asked.

“No, Miss Bella. He’s dead,” Travis answered.

**A/N: I totally struggled with this chapter. I hope I did it justice. But, let’s just say that the James threat is over. He is dead and gone. We will get some information about how he infiltrated the security measures. We also got some good news … Bella and Edward are pregnant. About three months along.**

**Pictures of the MGM Grand, the arena and some other goodies are on my blog. You can find the link for that in my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and twitter: tufano79.**

**According to my plan, we’re getting close to the end. Maybe one or two more chapters? Plus, an epilogue. We’ll see. Thanks for reading!**


	26. Questions Asked and Answered

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**I totally struggled with the previous chapter. I hope I did it justice. But, let’s just say that the James threat is over. He is dead and gone. We will get some information about how he infiltrated the security measures. We also got some good news … Bella and Edward are pregnant. About three months along.**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Questions Asked and Answered**

**BPOV**

“What’s the news?”

“He’s fine. In every way he can be,” the doctor answered. “We did a tox screen and he was drugged. You don’t have to worry about a head injury. It was a minute amount, but enough to knock him out for a couple of hours. In regard to his injury, we fixed the damage to his shoulder, reinflating his lung and he’ll make a full recovery. He will need physical therapy, but he’ll be fine.”

“Can he see visitors?” Alice asked.

“He’s in recovery and will be brought up to ICU in a few hours,” the doctor explained. “By then, visiting hours will be over. My suggestion is that you go home or back to the hotel. We’ll call you if there’s any change.”

“You have my cell number?” Nia asked, her brows furrowed.

“We do, Ms. Moore,” he replied. “Right now, Kellan needs to rest.”

Nia sighed, nodding. We got up and left the hospital in the SUV that Emmett swiped from Pandora Security. He drove us back to the Wynn and we dragged our exhausted bodies up to the hotel suite. Travis was inside, his face haunted. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be hovering next to James? Find out what the fuck happened?” Edward snapped. “How did he get past all of this security, Travis?”

“We’re still investigating,” Travis said, blinking up at my husband. He grimaced when he saw his bruise. “But, I just got off the phone with the detective assigned to James at the hospital.”

“Were they interviewing him?” I asked.

“No, Miss Bella. He’s dead,” Travis answered.

**EPOV**

“What do you mean, dead?” Jasper asked. “They said he was stable and would be fine.”

“Apparently, James lived a very unhealthy lifestyle. His liver was damaged from long-time alcohol use. It started bleeding and they couldn’t stop it,” Travis explained. “He also never regained consciousness, either. We couldn’t ask questions about how he infiltrated the security plan we had in place, but I have a theory.”

“Should we wait for Ryan and the rest of the Pandora team?” Bella questioned, her body pressed to mine.

“I think they were part of the problem,” Travis said. He gestured to the living room in the suite and we sat down. “Not all of them, though.”

“Who do you suspect?” I growled, anger surging through me and my head throbbing. I slid my arm around Bella’s waist and inhaled her hair. She smelled like her shampoo, slightly of sex and a lot like the hospital. I focused on her shampoo and tried to keep my temper in check. “Travis … fuck! Tell us!”

“Do you have a copy of the contract with Pandora?” Travis asked.

“Kellan does in his room,” Nia said. “Alice …?”

“Got it,” Alice said, darting out of the suite and returned a few moments later, carrying Kellan’s computer bag. She searched through the pockets, removing a file folder marked ‘Pandora.’ “What am I looking for?”

“Non-disclosure agreements,” Travis said.

Alice opened the file, pulling out a paper clipped stack of paper. “Here are the copies. I think the originals are on file at the Twilight offices.” Travis took the papers, flipping through the ten contracts, one for each of the security team we’d hired.

“What are you looking for?” Emmett asked.

“Checking to see if one particular person signed the NDA,” Travis said, pulling out a piece of paper. He furrowed his brows. “He signed it.”

“Who signed it?” Bella asked, angry and impatient.

“Max,” Travis muttered. “He was arrested just outside of Las Vegas, heading toward California while Kellan was in surgery.”

“Max?” I breathed. “Max, one of our security guards? That Max?”

“Apparently, he was working in league with James all along,” Travis said. “He’s who got James into the arena, with fake security credentials. He also helped him with the technology aspect.” He put the NDA onto the table and looked at the remaining paperwork. “Everyone involved with Pandora will be investigated. I don’t know if Max was a lone wolf or if the whole business is a scam.”

“Did he tell you this?” Bella asked. “Max, that is?”

“He’s currently being interviewed by the police, but he will be taken into federal custody for terrorism. With what happened in Manchester, we’re taking what happened very seriously. We don’t want to have another situation like that. He’s cooperating, probably hoping to get a deal,” Travis said. “Agent Torres is sitting in on the interview.”

“But you don’t know anything for certain,” I said.

“I have my theory. When I looked over George’s notes, I started coming up with my ideas pertaining to your case. It was also why I wanted to join you on the tour,” Travis said.

“Please, share what you theorized,” Nia said flatly.

“It’s just that: a theory,” Travis nodded. “James Loften is, or rather, was the worst kind of stalker. You wronged him in the past and he was determined to do anything to correct that wrong. He escalated quickly once he put his plan into place beginning with the threatening letters, the floral deliveries, and using an assumed identity to work on the tour. I’m surprised he didn’t make his move then, but I believe he was just fact-finding and using his inside connection to fuck with your minds.”

“Which he did. We didn’t feel safe. Hell, we still don’t feel safe. It’ll be a long time …” Bella trembled, standing up and jerkily walking away. She slipped into the bathroom. I heard her throw up and I got some crackers and made some tea from the kitchenette.

“Is she okay, Edward?” Travis asked.

“We were essentially held hostage by a psycho today. One of our best friends is in the hospital with a gunshot wound. I’m a walking bruise and my wife is holding by a fucking thread. I’d go with a no,” I spat sarcastically. Bella came back out, pale and sweaty. I handed her the tea and kissed her temple. “Do you want to stop, beautiful?”

“I want to know,” she said, her voice rough. “Please, continue, Travis. I know that this is all a theory, but so far it makes sense.”

“Okay,” Travis said, eyeing my wife with concern. She just curled up next to me, holding her tea and nibbling on her crackers. “So, back to my theory. James was essentially gathering information during his time with the tour. During that time, he buddied up with Max.”

“Why Max?” Emmett asked.

“I pulled up his work file from Pandora and ran a background check. Your detail was not the first one he’d been removed from. He thinks that rich, entitled assholes shouldn’t get this security. This was his last chance to redeem himself and upon his removal, he was fired. Max and James also had a similar past, abandoned by their fathers and living with a mom who wasn’t all there. James focused his efforts on school, music, where Max went into the military, where he was discharged due to misconduct,” Travis said.

“If he was discharged, how did he get a gig as a bodyguard?” Jasper asked.

“He failed a piss test,” Travis said. “He was discharged because of drugs found in his system. Anyway, he went to rehab, one of the caveats of being hired by Pandora and kicked his habit, but he was still angry and bitter. Max requested more violent, at-risk assignments. More mercenary work, not working as, and I quote, ‘an overpaid babysitter for the rich and famous.’ But, he failed the psych tests and was placed on bodyguard details, much to his chagrin.”

“They knew this and still assigned him to work on our entourage?” Bella whimpered. “That makes no fucking sense. I mean, really, it’s so stupid. They were setting him up to fail. And in the long run, it hurt us. He befriended James.”

“And I think it was Max’s idea to make things happen the way went down,” Travis said. “Max’s strength in the military was technology and explosives. He could easily spoof phone numbers and disable security feeds. He could also make a realistic looking bomb, convincing you to do what he needed.”

“What’s spoofing?” Nia asked. “I’ve never heard about that before.”

“May I see your phone, Miss Bella?” Travis asked my wife.

“Battery’s dead,” she said, still holding onto her tea tightly.

I unlocked my cell phone, handing it to him. “Use mine,” I said. Travis pulled up my texts and pressed a few buttons, revealing Kellan’s text from this morning with the photo of my guitar. He pressed on the photo and sure enough, it showed that it came from another phone number. “Is this number that the picture was texted from?”

“The burner cell that was found in James’ possession,” Travis said. “The police have accessed the phone and saw texts from ‘Kellan’ saying that the crew could have the morning off. There were also the texts to you and Miss Bella.”

“That explains why the crew was not at the arena,” Bella muttered. She snorted. “They all were probably hungover from my birthday party, too.”

“It was a great party,” Alice said, smiling sadly. “Did you talk to any of the crew?”

“Lou was brought in, along with his crew chiefs,” Travis said. “Anyway, from there, I don’t know what exactly happened, but James managed to get into the MGM Grand and set up this elaborate scheme to get you into the arena. I want you guys to be reassured. We’re going to do everything to put this behind you and answer your questions. For now, you just need to focus on you.”

“What about the tour?” Bella whispered.

“Let’s not worry about that right now, beautiful,” I said. “Let’s see what Max has to say and where this investigation leads.”

“I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. I know that the cops and George will want to take your statements, but …” Travis trailed off, scrubbing his nearly bald head. “I know I came into this investigation, this situation, late in the game, but I feel like I dropped the ball. I suggested investigating Max, but with your contract with Pandora, George said no.”

“Travis, it’s not your fault,” Bella said softly.

“I know, but no one should have to deal with this,” Travis spat. He stood up, rolling his head. “I’m going to check on George and the interviews.”

“What about the Pandora crew?” Emmett asked. “Should we …”

“They’re being questioned as well,” Travis explained. “They should be at the police station for the foreseeable future. We need to determine if they truly weren’t involved. They’re being held as people of interest.”

“That probably pissed them off something fierce,” Jasper snorted, threading his fingers with Nia’s.

“When they saw Max in one of the interview rooms, they understood,” Travis shrugged, picking up his wallet and pointing to the Pandora folder. “May I take this?”

“Go ahead,” Alice nodded.

“I would be ready for George and the local PD to come and speak with you tomorrow,” he looked at Bella and me. “I’ll try to call you.”

“Thank you, Travis,” I said, shaking his hand. He smiled tightly, leaving the suite. You could hear a pin drop inside. “Max was working with James?” I whispered.

“He was pulled off our detail pretty quickly and he was summarily fired,” Jasper snorted. “I’d be pretty salty if that had happened to me.”

“It’s only a theory, though,” Bella said, getting up and putting her cup in the sink. She looked a little better, but still a little pale. “We’ll see if that theory turns out to be true.” She leaned against the wall. “All I know is that I’m really tired, emotionally overwrought and worried about Kellan. I’m going to bed.”

“Sleep well, Bella,” Alice said, hugging her. “I love you and … thank you for what you did for Kellan.”

“He’s like my brother,” she replied, kissing Alice’s cheek. She walked over to Nia, hugging her, too. Bella brushed her hand over my back as she passed me. “Coming to bed, Edward?”

“I will. In a little bit. Why don’t you shower? It’ll help with …” I trailed off. Bella blushed, nodding, kissing my unbruised temple. She went up to our suite, closing the door.

“Ed, is she okay? Really? I know that you got the brunt of James’ attack, but she seems off,” Emmett said.

“She’s processing. Hell, I’m processing,” I sighed, sitting back on the couch. “A lot has happened and the threat that James posed on us is over, for the most part.”

“You’re holding something back, brother,” Alice chirped, a smirk on her face.

“I am and I’m not going to share. Not now,” I answered. “Have you heard from our parents?”

“Charlie and Sue will be here tomorrow. Mom and Dad are coming probably late tonight. They were getting on the plane when we left the hospital,” Alice said. “Senior said he has to find a flight. Nothing is available, unless it’s standby. He’s checking Milwaukee and other local airports.”

“We also need to check out of this suite tomorrow. I told them our situation and they said some prince or some shit is coming and yeah …” Nia growled. “We could move to other rooms, but they won’t be as swanky as this, or with any extra protection.”

“I don’t know how long we’re going to be here, Nia. I think our best bet is to find a rental property like we used for the other locations,” I suggested.

“I’ll take care of that,” Jasper said. He cupped Nia’s cheek and caressed it with his thumb. “I know you don’t want to deal with assholes while Kellan is in the hospital.”

“Thank you, Jas,” she breathed, her eyes fluttering shut and a few tears spilling onto her cheeks. He held her close, leaning his cheek against her head.

“I’ll pick up our parents. They could probably help, too,” Alice nodded. She looked at me and tugged on my hand. “You look like you’re about to collapse, Edward. Go upstairs, shower and get some rest. Okay?”

I got up, hugging my little sister and went up to my suite. Using my key, I slid inside. Bella was already asleep, curled up into a tiny ball on our bed. I brushed my fingers over her cheek and I went to shower, to wash off the stench of the hospital, Kellan’s blood and my fear from my body. When I walked out of the shower, I inspected my injuries. My face was bruised and my side was mottled. I was lucky that James was such a loose cannon. He was so paranoid that someone was going to get him.

_And, oh the irony that someone did._

Pulling up a pair of boxer briefs, I padded to the bedroom and slipped between the sheets, next to my slumbering wife. “We’re safe, _cantante._ You, too, nugget,” I whispered, laying my hands on her belly. Bella sighed, putting her hands over mine. “I love you both.”

“We love you, too,” Bella murmured sleepily.

xx LMDC xx

We both were exhausted and barely woke up to the pounding on our door. Bella groaned, burrowing into the comforter. I stumbled to the door, looking at the clock and seeing it was well after ten in the morning. Opening the door, I saw Emmett. “What?” I grumbled.

“George, Travis and the detective assigned to the case, a woman named Amy, are here to talk to you,” Emmett said.

“Can you give us a half hour? I need to wake up and Bella needs some breakfast,” I said. “Plus, we have to pack up since we’re moving, right?”

“Alice said she’d handle the packing part. And normally, Isabelly doesn’t need breakfast. She said her stomach isn’t awake,” Emmett quipped.

“A half hour, Em,” I said, scrubbing my hair. He scowled, but I closed the door on him. I crawled back into bed, caressing my wife’s cheeks. “Momma, wake up.”

“Our child already went through puberty?” Bella snickered, rolling over and looking up at me.

“Ha, ha. You’re hysterical,” I said, kissing her cheek. “We have to get ready. Travis, George and some detective, Amy from the LVPD, are here to talk to us about what happened.” She made a face. “I bought us a half hour. You need to eat and take your pills. What do you want?”

“Carbs,” she snorted. “Pancakes, bagels, waffles, with lots of butter and syrup. And Canadian bacon.”

“Already playing up the cravings card?” I smirked.

“Damn straight. Your offspring wants delicious carbs,” she giggled.

“You got it, Momma. Be kind to her, Nugget,” I said, lifting her t-shirt and kissing her belly. Bella dragged me up her body and kissed me soundly, her tongue plunging into my mouth. I pulled back, staring into her rheumy eyes. “Baby, a half hour. We don’t have time for that.”

“It’s just so sweet when you talk to our baby,” she breathed, a sexy smile spreading over her lips.

“I’ll talk to your belly as often as you want, but for now, we need to focus on putting the nightmare of James behind us,” I said. She bit her lip, nodding. She got up, stumbling and her face blanching. “Bella?”

“Nugget doesn’t want to be kind,” she moaned, darting to the bathroom and throwing up. I grimaced, dressing casually and calling down for room service. I heard the shower turn on and I began tossing our stuff into our suitcases. I wished I could say we were packing to go home, but that probably wasn’t going to happen. I kept the stuffed puppy out, but most of our clothing and belongings were in our suitcases and various bags. Bella walked out, her face pale and her nose wrinkled. “I think my body is revolting against me.”

“We can ask Carlisle for some suggestions to help with the nausea,” I said, helping her onto the bed. She was weak and leaning heavily against me.

“I thought we were keeping this quiet,” she whispered.

“I don’t have to say why you’re nauseous, but he may suspect,” I whispered back.

“Are they here?”

“I don’t know. Emmett banged on the door telling us about being questioned, giving our statement. I’m surprised that they let us wait this long,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. “What do you need?”

“Some crackers and more of that tea?” she said. “But, don’t think I’m going to be denied my carbs. I’ve been enjoying the healthy lifestyle, but I want bread dammit. Nugget wants bread.”

“And you’ll get bread,” I snickered. “And pancakes, waffles, butter, syrup and Canadian bacon.”

“Thank you,” she said. She stood up, blowing out a breath and walked to the door. “Let’s get this over with. The sooner the fucking better.” I followed her to the main living area of the suite. Travis looked like hell, as did Agent George Torres. The female detective was tall with chin-length brown hair and angry grey eyes. She looked over at Bella, her eyes sweeping over my wife and she licked her lips.

_Really?_

“Agent Goodman, Agent Torres, thank you for giving us some time to rest before you took our statement,” Bella said, shaking their hands. “And you are?”

“Detective Amy Addison,” she replied.

“Isabella Cullen and my husband, Edward Cullen,” Bella said coldly, stepping back into my arms and gripping my shirt. “Please, let’s have a seat. I’m still not feeling quite myself. Yesterday kind of sucked, to say the least.”

“Of course,” Agent Torres said.

There was a knock at the door and I answered it. One of the staff from the hotel delivered Bella’s breakfast. I tipped him, shooing him out of the suite. I swiped a bagel, along with some butter and handed it to my wife. She took it with a grateful smile, nibbling it.

“Do you mind if we record this?” Detective Addison asked.

“We want this over with. Go right ahead,” I answered.

“September 15th, 2017: half past ten. Witness statements from Isabella and Edward Cullen regarding the James Loften/Maxwell Diggle terrorist/stalking case,” Detective Addison said. “Now, can you please tell us, in your own words, what happened yesterday, September fourteenth?”

Bella and I talked for an hour straight, telling the three of them what had transpired yesterday. We didn’t omit anything. We also didn’t include Travis’s theories about Max being involved. In fact, we didn’t mention anything about Max at all, except for asking why he was included in the investigation.

“Let me answer that,” Agent Torres, George, replied. He leaned forward, his jaw clenched. “Apparently when Max was let go from your security detail, he was also let go from the company. He was pissed. Extremely pissed. He had gotten to know James, back when he was Jimmy and worked as a roadie on your crew. They got to talking and James told him his plans. Max, who had nothing but his car and the clothes in his trunk, decided to partner up with him.”

“What did James offer Max?” Bella asked.

“A percentage of his money,” George answered. “It was a small percentage, but enough for him to start fresh in a new city, and get a new life.” He sat back and twisted his wedding band. “But, after he helped James set up his plan from yesterday, Max felt incredibly guilty. He couldn’t stand to watch what he’d had planned for you.”

“Which was?” I choked out.

“Let’s just say, you got very, very lucky,” George replied. “If we go to trial, you’ll hear it but let’s just say that James was fixated on Mrs. Cullen and a certain part of her body.”

“What’s going to happen to Max? Is he going to go to trial?” I questioned.

“After he told us most of his side of the story, he asked for a lawyer. But, he’s facing some pretty serious charges,” Travis said. “Federal charges that could land him in a prison cell for the rest of his natural life.”

“So, what happens now?” Bella asked, curling up next to me.

“We need you to stay in Las Vegas, obviously,” Detective Addison said. “Your brother-in-law said that they’d arranged for you to be moved to a private residence. I know that you’re on tour, but that may have to be put on hold until we continue our investigation.”

“And what of James?” I asked. “Is he really dead?”

“He died on the table,” George said. “They couldn’t contain the bleeding from his gunshot wound. He’s in the morgue and never will bother you again.”

“Do you have a picture? I need to see that he’s dead,” Bella said. I remembered her insistence wanting to see Jacob’s body, but it had been so badly damaged, that he was cremated before she could get her closure. George hesitated, but Travis took out his phone and handed it to her. She looked down at the photo of James. He looked like he was sleeping, but his skin was ghostly white, with bruising on his shoulders. “Any family?”

“We’re trying to get ahold of his mother, but we haven’t been able to,” George replied.

Bella pursed her lips, handing Travis back his phone. “If you can’t, we’ll pay for the burial.”

“Bella?” I gasped.

“Yes, he terrorized us, but no one should …” she trailed off. She got up, walking to the kitchen and made herself a plate of breakfast food. She put it in the microwave.

“Do as she says,” I whispered. “My wife is incredibly forgiving. I’m not. I’ll never forgive or forget what either man has done. Anything else?”

“No. Not at this time. If we need to question you further, we’ll contact you,” Detective Addison said.

“What about the rest of Pandora security?” Bella questioned, cutting up her pancakes and waffles. _Damn, she really wanted carbs._

“They were questioned and released. As far as I know, a representative from your record label is speaking with them,” George explained. He shook my hand and did the same to Bella. “We’ll be in touch.”

The three of them left and I fell back onto the couch. I was more exhausted then when I woke up. Bella walked over to me, sitting next to me with her plate refilled with another serving of breakfast foods. “Nugget, you’re a carboholic.”

“Yep,” she giggled. “Want some?”

“I don’t want to deprive my wife or my child any of their precious carbs,” I snorted. She just shrugged, happily eating her breakfast. When she finished, Emmett, Jasper and my parents walked in. We were surrounded by hugs and kisses. My mom mainly doted on me, frowning at my bruised face, but I told her that I was lucky. We all were. However, my parents were here to help us move to the private, secured residence that Jasper found for us for the duration of our time in Las Vegas.

Checking out of the Wynn was welcomed, but stressful. I would have rather stayed, but the incoming prince or dignitary was adamant on staying in the suite we’d occupied. _Damn it._ After checking out, we clambered into a waiting limo SUV and our luggage was loaded up. We sat in the back of the SUV as we drove through some affluent neighborhoods, before arriving in a gated community. I was grateful for that. Even though James was gone, we still needed the protection, from crazed fans and worse … the press. Bella was curled up next to me, holding the stuffed puppy in front of her belly, gently caressing its fur. We pulled up to a large house. “Damn, Jas. This place is a fucking mansion,” I snorted.

“I figured we’d all probably want to stay together. This place has enough rooms for everyone, including the parentals, record execs and any other stragglers,” Jasper snickered. “Plus, there are four cars here for our use.”

“How much did this place cost to rent?” Bella asked. “We’ll reimburse you, Jasper.”

“It’s nothing, Bella,” Jasper said, smiling softly after her. “Anyway, Alice and Charlie went out to get groceries.”

“Dad’s here?” Bella beamed. Jasper nodded. I hugged her and kissed her temple. I could feel her body relax against me. She needed him.

“Adele is also waiting inside. We need to discuss where we go from here,” Emmett offered. “The situation that happened yesterday hit the news in a big way.”

“I’m shocked we weren’t assaulted by the press,” I said, looking at my best friends and band mates.

“We had a few decoys act like you two, leaving with us, when the cops arrived to interview you and get your statement,” Jasper smirked. “Fucking brilliant, really.”

“Jasper, language,” Esme chided, snickering.

“But, it was fucking brilliant, Esme,” he laughed. “It got the press away from the hotel.”

“And you picked us up at the airport,” Carlisle said. “That was pretty ingenious.”

“Fucking brilliant,” Jasper said. “Say it with me, Carlisle.” He held up his hands. “Fucking brilliant.”

“We get it,” Bella snorted. “You’re a Mensa candidate.”

“Come on. We really need to discuss our plans from here on out,” Emmett said.

We eased out of the limo. My adoptive father paid for it, much to my chagrin, and the car drove away. Jasper let us inside and the mansion was large, open and decorated heavily in a southwestern theme. It was tasteful, but not something that I’d personally choose. I’m more of a contemporary/modern guy, with clean lines and sleek, but comfortable furniture. Bella was the same way, but with a traditional twist. Anyway, Adele was inside, typing on her computer and chattering on her phone, using her Bluetooth. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you soon with their decision. Yeah, yeah. Goodbye, jerk.”

“Everything okay?” Jasper asked.

“Peachy. Just talking to the president of Twilight Records. I had to put him in his place,” she smirked. “How are you guys?” She blinked over to me, grimacing. “Ouch, Edward. You’re gorgeous face …”

“I’ll survive,” I snickered.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

“Like a bitch,” I replied.

“Edward,” Esme sighed. “Language!”

“Sorry, Ma,” I retorted, giving her an apologetic look. “Is Senior on his way?”

“He found a flight out of Milwaukee and will be here by this evening,” Carlisle replied. “He was worried sick about both of you, but so grateful that it all worked out in the end.”

“But not for Kellan,” Bella whispered. “Have you heard anything? From Nia? His parents?”

“Nia and Kellan’s parents are at the hospital now. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her. She used a taxi to pick up her parents, driving them directly to the hospital,” Jasper explained. “They’re staying here, too. I don’t know when they’ll get here, but it’s not like we don’t have room.”

“I was freaking out when I heard about Kellan,” Adele muttered. “He’s a damn fine manager and has become a great friend. I have no doubt that he’ll be fine. He’s too stubborn to let a little bullet wound get him down. Now, we’ve got the main players in the game. We need to discuss the tour.”

“What has been said on the news?” I asked. “Emmett said that it’s been splashed all over the media.”

“Acting as your publicist, since yours is a little busy with her brother, I put out a statement. It reiterated the news story that the two of you were held hostage by James Loften, a former professor and confirmed stalker, demanding money from Edward and Bella. There was a brief standoff, but working with the local authorities, the situation was diffused. There were minor injuries among the Breaking Midnight team, but everyone should make a full recovery. In regard to the tour, it’s on hiatus, temporarily, until we could discuss where we go from here,” Adele said. “Your social media and such has been inundated with well-wishes and prayers. All of the Twilight offices are receiving letters, packages and gifts, all for you.”

“As weird as it sounds, we’ll take the letters, but donate the gifts and such to local charities,” Bella said.

“We’re going to have an army of PA’s pre-screening the letters and marking down what you were given,” Adele said. “I’m assuming you’re going to personally thank them?”

“With the four of us, I think that it’s doable,” I shrugged.

Adele snorted, handing me her phone. My eyes bugged out, seeing the number of envelopes, boxes and packages. “Holy crap,” I said. I handed the phone to Bella and she blanched. “We may need help with this.”

“I thought you’d say that. We’ll weed out some of the rambling ones,” Adele said, taking her phone back. “Anyway, back to the tour. I have a couple of options that we can explore. The first one is to cancel the remaining dates. In light of what happened, I don’t think that your fans would be too upset with that decision.”

“Would we have to go back on tour next summer?” Jasper asked.

“You’d have to negotiate that with el presidente,” Adele snorted. “I’d fight for you to not have to make it up. This tour has done phenomenally well, despite the drama surrounding it. A true moneymaker and your popularity has skyrocketed. Plus, that B-side album you released is number one on the charts and the song that Bella wrote for Edward is still in the top ten, a huge hit.”

“What are your other options?” Bella asked, her hand laying on her stomach underneath the pillow from the couch. I slid my arm over her shoulders and she snuggled closer to me, tucking her legs up.

“The second option would be to take a week or two off, stay here for the investigation and then finish the tour,” Adele said. “We’d have to make up the missed dates at the tail end of the tour.”

“And what would want us to do?” I questioned. “Be honest.”

“Honestly, I can see how much this stress strained you. Bella, you look sick and pale. Edward, obviously, you’re injured, but there’s stress behind your eyes that I’m not comfortable seeing. Emmett, I know that you were in a difficult position at the beginning of the tour, only exacerbated by your divorce and dealing with your sobriety. Jasper, you were the least affected, but I see your concern for Kellan, and your girlfriend, Nia,” Adele said. “I’d support you if you wanted to cancel the remainder of the tour.”

“I think …” Bella began. “I think that we should take the two-week break, regroup and then continue the tour.” The door opened and Alice and Charlie came in, carrying grocery bags. Bella blinked over to me and tugged my hand, placing it on her rounded tummy. I nodded. “Dad, Ali? Can you come here?”

“Sure, Bells,” Charlie said. They walked over and sat down. “Everything okay?”

“We’re discussing on what we’re going to do in regard to the tour,” I said.

“Bella suggested we continue it,” Jasper said, his nose wrinkled. “Why?”

“Just hear me out,” Bella said. “I know that we’re all exhausted, stressed and upset. What happened was unthinkable. I hate James for what he did and how he terrorized us, using our security team against us and forcing our hand. But, I don’t want him to win. We also can’t do that to our fans.” She bit her lip. “Look at those letters, those packages and their online well-wishes. They love us and I don’t want to take that away from them.”

“I’m with Bella,” I murmured. “But my reasons are far more selfish.”

“I wouldn’t call them selfish. I call them reality,” Bella blushed. “And it’s a singular reason. After the tour, Edward and I will need to take time off, from the band, from music, from everything.” With a timid smile, she continued. “Reason being is that we’re pregnant. Well, I’m pregnant. We want to focus our energies on our newest addition. Our little nugget.”

There was a pause before the room exploded in cheers and words of congratulations. Bella was swept up into her father’s arms. He was crying, holding her and crowing that he was going to be a grandfather. Emmett was dancing happily, excited to become the cool uncle. My parents were also teary eyed. Esme was probably the most emotional, cupping my face and hugging me so tightly, almost to the point of pain.

“Ma, bruised ribs,” I hissed.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “Edward, I’m so happy for you. A baby! Such a blessing …”

“It is,” I smiled. She squeaked, walking over to Bella and hugging her tightly. Bella smiled, melting against my mother. Adele approached me with a grin. “Do you think we can do that? A two-week break and then continuing the tour?”

“I think so. How far along is Bella?” she asked.

“The doctor thinks between two and three months,” I answered. “We need to see her doctor. The sooner, the better.”

“During this break, you could fly back and go to the doctor to get some more detailed information,” Adele said. She frowned. “But, I would keep that to yourselves. Just keep the pregnancy to yourself. Looking at Bella, she’s not showing and with some unique styling, won’t show for the remainder of the tour. Why don’t we talk after you spend some time with your family? We can brainstorm ideas.” She kissed my cheek, hugging me tenderly. “Congratulations, Edward. You and your wife will make beautiful babies.”

“I hope so,” I whispered, looking at my wife. “Thank you for everything, Adele.”

“No problem,” she smirked. “I’m going to call el presidente and tell him about your decision. I’m also going to work on rearranging the dates we’d had to cancel, but I’m hopeful that you’ll be done by the end of October.”

“Promise?” I asked. She nodded, hugging me again and darting into a quieter part of the house.

We spent an hour or so discussing what had happened. Bella was sitting on my lap and I was openly cupping her belly, grateful that I could show my affection to her and to our growing baby. As we were talking, Nia came back, with an older couple. Alice hopped up, running to her friend and hugging her. “How is he?” she asked.

“Bitching and anxious to get out of bed,” Nia laughed. “Everyone, these are my parents, Richard and Amelia Moore. Mom, Dad, this is the band Breaking Midnight, with Edward and Bella Cullen, Emmett Swan and my boyfriend, Jasper Whitlock.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Bella said, getting up and hugging Kellan’s parents. “And we’re so sorry …”

“Don’t apologize, Bella,” Amelia chided gently. “Kellan doesn’t blame you, nor do we.”

“Can we visit him?” I asked.

“He’s still in ICU and that means family only,” Richard answered. “But, once he’s out of the ICU, I’m certain he’ll be happy for visitors.”

“Will he make a full recovery?” Alice whispered.

“The bullet shattered his shoulder and one of the bone fragments entered his lungs, but with another surgery to rebuild the damage and physical therapy, he will make a full recovery,” Amelia answered, walking over to Alice and taking her hand. “He told us about you two. He wanted me to tell you that he misses you and loves you very much.”

“I can’t wait to see him so I can tell him the same,” Alice replied with a watery smile. Amelia hugged my sister. “Now, you must be exhausted. Why don’t I show you to your room so you can get some rest?”

“Yeah, you guys have been up for almost twenty-four straight hours,” Nia said, tugging on Richard’s arm. “After you get some sleep, we can have our families get to know each other.”

“That sounds heavenly,” Carlisle smiled. I helped my parents into their accommodations, which were right across the hall from Kellan’s folks. I got a tight hug from my adoptive father. “I’m so happy for you, son.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I hope I do right by both of them.”

“Why would you think otherwise?” Carlisle asked. I made a face, thinking of my biological father. The man who’d given me up because he was so lost in his grief after the death of my mother, his wife. Recognizing that look, her smiled in understanding. “Ah, Senior.” I nodded. “You’re so much like your mother, Edward. You love so fiercely. Bella and your new baby will not …”

“How do you know?” I pressed.

“Calling on Alice’s talents … I have a feeling,” Carlisle laughed. “Now, that bed is looking mighty inviting and I’m exhausted. We’ll talk more, son. When I’m coherent and clean.” He wrinkled his nose, plucking at his dress shirt. I snorted. “Love you, Edward.”

“Love you, too, Dad,” I smiled crookedly. We hugged once more. Mom danced past me, kissing my cheek before disappearing into the room. I left them and went back downstairs. Nia and Jasper were in the living room, but the rest had disappeared. “Where is everyone?”

“The idea of a nap sounded appealing to everyone,” Jasper answered. “Bella’s in the master bedroom, up the stairs and last door on the left.”

“And congratulations, Edward. You’re going to be an amazing dad,” Nia beamed. “I couldn’t be happier for you.”

“Thanks, Nia. I’m also happy that Kellan’s injuries are … well, I’m glad he’s okay,” I breathed.

“He will be and he’ll call in the guilt trips often,” Nia giggled. “You’re his bitch for life.”

“I’m well aware,” I laughed. I waved at the two of them and heading upstairs to lay down with my wife. My _pregnant_ wife. _Holy crap. I’m going to be a daddy._ I let myself into the room and saw Bella. She had removed her clothes, wearing just a camisole and a pair of panties.

Stripping down to my boxers, I lay down next to her and looked at her body. Now that I knew she was pregnant, I could the subtle differences to her body. Her breasts were slightly larger and her belly, which was normally toned and flat, had a bump in between her hips. I placed my hand on her tiny bump, smiling softly. I moved so I was eye-to-eye with the bump. “Hey Nugget … I’m your daddy. I’m so excited that … I can’t wait to meet you. Your mother and I wanted to try to have a baby, but we didn’t expect so soon. I’m freaking out, to be honest. But, there’s one thing that you have to know, Nugget. No matter what, Mommy and I will always love you.” I kissed her belly, nuzzling it gently before moving back up to hold Bella in my arms. She was still asleep, but she was smiling tenderly, as if she heard what I’d said to our baby. I brushed my lips over hers. “And I love you more than anything in the world, _cantante._ Always.”

**A/N: The families know, so does Adele. Kellan is on the road to recovery and Max was, unfortunately, involved. But, what about the rest of Pandora? What will happen with them? We’ll discuss that and conclude the rest of the investigation in the next chapter. We’ll also have Edward and Bella go to their regular doctor to get some more information about Nugget.**

**Pictures of the mansion they’re staying at, along with pictures of Kellan’s parents, Amelia and Richard, are on my blog. You can find a link for that on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and twitter, too: tufano79. We’re also getting close to the end of the story, too. I’m on the last page of my story plan. I don’t know how many more chapters, but it’s close.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	27. Nugget

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**The families know, so does Adele. Kellan is on the road to recovery and Max was, unfortunately, involved. But, what about the rest of Pandora? What will happen with them? We’ll discuss that and conclude the rest of the investigation in the next chapter. We’ll also have Edward and Bella go to their regular doctor to get some more information about Nugget.**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Nugget**

**BPOV**

“I’ll call Dr. Tatum by the end of the day today. Hopefully, we’ll have more information by then.”

“How’s the nausea?” he asked.

“I don’t feel as shaky,” I said. “But, I feel grimy.”

“Come on, _cantante_ , let’s shower. I think that will help with the grimy feeling and then we can eat more than crackers and ginger ale,” he said.

“You just want to see me naked,” I giggled.

“I do. I always do. I want to point out the subtle differences in your body, Mrs. Cullen,” he said, his eye brows waggling. I arched a brow. He pressed a sweet kiss to my mouth, but I pushed him away. I had dragon breath from sleep and puking up my innards. “I don’t care. I love you and your dragon breath.”

“You’re incorrigible, Edward Anthony,” I snickered. He shrugged, turning on the water in the massive, but luxurious shower. I brushed my teeth and went to grab some clothes, choosing to wear a dress. With my expanding waistline, I didn’t want to be squished. I swiped some underwear and picked up my toiletry bag. I put in my contact lenses before I stripped out of my clothes from the night before. Edward was watching me with rapt attention. “Really?”

“What? You’re gorgeous,” he smirked, tugging down his boxer briefs. He gave me a wink, stepping into the shower. I finished undressing and followed him inside. The air was deliciously humid, a welcome change from the arid feeling that contributed to my overall feeling of griminess. Edward took my hand and led me under the rainfall showerhead. I sighed as the hot water hit my skin. My head fell back. Edward kissed my neck and pulled me into his arms. His hands rested on my hips. “Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe your beauty, Bella.”

“I felt awful this morning, Edward,” I sighed, my hands on his chest. “I hope that this icky feeling goes away. Now, about these changes. I don’t see it, other than burying my head in a toilet first thing in the morning.”

“Well, I noticed the changes when I came to lie down with you yesterday,” he explained. “First, your breasts are slightly larger.” His hands moved up and cupped my breasts with his hands. They were larger, heavier and my nipples were darker. His thumbs caressed my nipples, twisting my ring in my right breast. “So, perfect.”

“Edward …” I panted.

“Do you like this?” he asked, his eyes dark with desire. I nodded, looking up at him. The bruising on his face was a reminder of what happened to us and what we survived. I hated that he was injured. “Bella, I can see your mind working. I’m okay.”

“I just hate seeing you like this, Edward,” I said, my fingers grazing along the knot near his temple.

“Temporary,” he smiled crookedly. “Now, back to your changes …”

“Pointing out how I’m getting fat?” I giggled.

“Not fat, pregnant,” he argued. “Perfect. Beautiful.” He turned me around and pressed his chest to my back. His hands slid around my waist and rested on my lower belly. “Do you see that?”

I put my hands on top of his, feeling the hardness and seeing the roundness between my hips. “Wow. How could I have missed that?” I whispered.

“It’s tiny, but our nugget is growing in there,” he said, his hands rubbing my belly. His hands moved lower, spreading my legs. His lips found my neck and he pressed an open-mouthed kiss on my skin. I whimpered. “I can’t lift you because of my ribs, but I want to feel you. I want you to come, Bella.” I was held hostage by my desire, putting my leg up on the bench in the shower. “That’s my girl.”

“How is this fair? You get me off?” I whimpered.

“You’re pregnant. You get what you want,” he cooed, his mouth wrapping around my ear as his fingers swirled around my clit. “You’re so wet, baby.” I nodded, rocking against his hand. He turned my head and kissed me, sliding two fingers inside me. I moaned, loudly as my orgasm was building within my body at an alarming rate. “Oh, Bella, I can feel you squeezing my fingers. I need you to come.”

“Edward,” I gasped, my hand flying to his hip and my body jerking. He smiled against my mouth as waves of pleasure washed over me, each one more powerful and stimulating than the next. When my orgasm was done, Edward removed his hand and cleaned the essence off his fingers with a smarmy grin. I was wobbly and I sat down. “Fuck me.”

“In due time, Momma,” he snickered, picking up some shampoo. “Give my ribs a chance to heal.”

“But, you’re hard,” I pouted, gesturing to his arousal.

“I am, but it hurts to take a deep breath,” he said. “I appreciate your offer …”

My pout deepened and he laughed. “You said that I get what I want. I want to give you a blow job,” I grumbled. He just chuckled, tugging me back under the water and rubbing the shampoo in my hair. _That felt so nice. Okay, he can get a blow job later. More of this head massage thing._ Edward knew he’d succeeded in distracting me and treated me to a long head massage, complete with shampoo and conditioner. I gave him the same treatment since he refused to let me blow him. _You’re a perv, Bella. Yes, you’re horny, but think of your poor injured hubby._

We finished our shower and got dressed. I blew dry my hair, though I stopped when my stomach started to do somersaults again. Edward got me some more ginger ale and crackers, before guiding me down to the living room. Almost everyone, except for Jasper and Nia, were up. Esme and Amelia were cooking breakfast and Senior was talking with Carlisle, Charlie and Richard. Senior, who looked wrecked, saw us and practically fell over himself to pull his son into his arms. “Edward,” he whispered. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Totally fine, Dad,” he whispered back.

“And Bella,” he said, tears brimming in his eyes. “A baby?”

“Congratulations, Grandpa,” I giggled. He whooped, swinging me around and making me want to hurl again.

“Dad, lay off. She’s struggling with morning sickness,” Edward said, guiding me to the kitchen where Amelia put some warm tea in front of me, along with some more crackers. _I’m beginning to hate crackers._ But, Esme put some eggs in front of me as well, along with some sausage and a bagel. I dug in and my stomach immediately settled.

After breakfast, we talked about what had happened. Jasper and Emmett had only heard, third-hand, what went on in that arena. I felt badly for Richard and Amelia as I described how Kellan was knocked out and beaten to a pulp, but they said their son was strong. He out-stubborned James with his will to kick his ass. As we were talking, Nia’s cell phone rang, as she’d wandered down mid-conversation. It was the hospital, explaining that they were moving Kellan to a regular room after they run some tests. He’d be set up in a private room by the afternoon. Amelia, Richard and Nia got into one of the available cars, driving the hospital while the rest of us relaxed and lounged on the couches in the living room.

The house phone rang a little after noon. Emmett answered it. His eyes widened, looking back at us. “It’s the Pandora Team. They want to meet with us.”

“How did they know where we were?” Edward asked. “I thought that staying in these private residences had some sort of contract where they can’t disclose who’s staying in their properties or something.”

“I think we should let them in. Maybe they have answers for us,” I said. Emmett narrowed his eyes and said to send them through. Senior, despite being exhausted, was going to act as our legal representation if they said something that we didn’t like. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but with Max’s involvement; how did we know that all weren’t in on this?

They arrived a few moments later. Ryan and Greg looked like they’d been through the shredder. Their normally clean-shaven faces were covered in scruff and their eyes were glazed over. Ainsley’s hair was pulled up into a messy bun and her pale skin looked ashen. Adele spoke first. “I guess this goes without saying, but you and your team are fired,” she spat.

“We gathered that,” Ryan said, his voice gravelly. “We’re making arrangements to head back home, now that the threat has been eliminated.”

“Did you know about Max?” Alice spat. “About his involvement?”

“Alice, please, calm down,” Esme said soothingly.

“NO! Because of them, Kellan’s in a fucking hospital bed. That monster almost killed my brother and sister,” Alice screamed. “What do you know?!”

Ryan went to answer but Ainsley smacked his shoulder. “Ryan, you need to shut up. You’re going to get us sued,” she sneered. “Max was always on the outskirts of your protection. He never helped, but he didn’t really hurt, either. However, that’s when we realized that he was surveilling from a distance. Seeing the weaknesses in the security measures and turning them into advantages for James. Before he was fired, the few times that James slipped past security were Max’s doing. He’d turn off the security feed or provide James with the appropriate credentials.”

“How do you know this?” Jasper asked.

“Max told us. He asked to see us before he confessed to everything. He doesn’t want to go to trial. He knows he fucked up,” Ainsley explained. “Royally.”

“Fucked up is an understatement,” I muttered under my breath. “I know that he is taking responsibility for his actions, but it’s too little too late, Ainsley. Because of what he did, Kellan is in the hospital with a gunshot wound. My husband is littered with bruises from James’ insane ramblings. I was lucky. I don’t have any physical wounds, but I can just imagine the nightmares I may have. This is not the first time where I’ve been the object of a stalker. This whole situation hits a little too close to home, for the second time in my life.”

“I’m sorry,” Ainsley whispered. “I know that … We didn’t know about Max, honestly. I hate that you were caught in the middle of this. We tried our hardest to …”

“But, it didn’t work. With Max’s intel, James was always two steps ahead,” Emmett said coldly. “You weren’t involved. Fine. We thank you for _trying._ But, trying just wasn’t enough. People still got hurt. The damage is done.” Ainsley’s sickly pallor turned grey as tears brimmed in her eyes, hearing Emmett’s harsh tirade.

“Come on, Ains,” Greg said quietly. “They’re pissed.”

“Of course, we’re pissed!” Emmett exploded. “It may not be, directly, your fault, but a member of your team helped that asshole! We’re BEYOND pissed.”

“Em,” I chided. “I know you’re upset.”

“You should be just as upset, if not more so …” Emmett growled. Charlie shot up and put his arm around Emmett’s shoulders. Charlie tugged him out of the room and onto the back patio.

“Bella, we’re sorry that we didn’t see Max’s actions and stop them before they got out of hand,” Ainsley said, her voice wavering. “I know that there’s nothing that can be done now, but you have to know that we are sorry.”

“Thank you, Ainsley,” I whispered. “And thank you for protecting us.”

“I wish we could have done more,” Ryan muttered. He stood up and scrubbed his face. Looking down at this watch, he sighed. “We’ve got to go. Our plane takes off in a few hours.”

“You’re not staying for the investigation?” Edward asked, anger in his velvety voice.

“We have to go to the Pandora offices, deal with the aftermath and then we’re flying back here with our legal representation. We’re not culpable with what happened, but with Max working with us, we have been implicated,” Ryan said. “But, that’s why we need to have our own attorneys.” He frowned. “I’m very sorry for what happened and I would completely understand if you went after us.”

“I’m speaking as an attorney. Ryan, shut up,” Senior snickered. “I know you feel guilty, but don’t ever admit fault, nor invite a lawsuit.”

Ryan flushed, nodding. He pursed his lips, gesturing to the door. Ainsley looked at the back patio, her eyes glassy. Greg put his arm around her shoulders, guiding her out the front door. When it clicked shut, I felt immediately guilty. “It wasn’t their fault, but we blamed them.”

“It may not have been their fault. We were just too raw and too close to the situation,” Jasper said. “In time, we’ll probably be able to forgive them, but for now, since they were associated with Max, they’re just as guilty as he is.”

“Are you going to sue them?” Esme asked.

“If we do, it will be the company, not them,” Edward shrugged. “Who knows? Adele, what should we do?”

“Get separated from all of this. A few days and you’ll be able to think a little straighter,” she nodded. “Now, I’m going to call the FBI guys to see where they are with the investigation. I know that you two want to fly to Los Angeles for a doctor’s appointment.” She gestured to me and Edward. We both nodded. She slipped out her cell phone, striding out of the room.

“I’m assuming that the doctor’s appointment is for the baby, right?” Esme cooed.

“Yeah. Seeing the ER doc and then Heidi in Chicago … they’re not our doctor,” I said. “There’s this one physician in our OB/GYN practice that I want for my obstetrician. She seems forceful, but kind.”

“What’s her name, Bella?” Carlisle asked.

“Dr. Sarah Castillo,” I replied. “She’s well-respected in the community and is a favorite among the mothers at that practice. I’ve spoken to her, as I was leaving from my last appointment about having her as my OB and she agreed. However, I didn’t think it would be this quick.” Edward smiled, his hand resting on my belly. I kissed him, draping my legs over his. Esme beamed, but she got up and began puttering in the kitchen.

We ate lunch and we all traveled to the hospital, after receiving a text from Nia saying that Kellan was in a regular hospital room. On our way to the hospital, we stopped by and picked up flowers, stuffed animals and goodies for Kellan. Emmett was being a smart ass and got him a cactus. “Why a cactus?” Jasper asked.

“Because it’s different,” Emmett said, holding his cactus with a blue ribbon. “You guys got him fruity flowers.”

“I got him candy,” I said, holding some candy bouquet. “Get it right, brother bear.” Emmett just snorted. We made it up to the floor and were greeted by Nia. She explained that he could have visitors, but only a few at a time. She took Alice’s hand and dragged her away while the rest of us sat down in the waiting area just outside of the ward. Amelia and Richard came out, hugging everyone before heading down to the cafeteria. They hadn’t eaten much since they arrived at the hospital this morning.

Alice came back out and she said that Kellan was asking for Edward and me. Picking up our ‘gifts,’ we followed her to his private room. He was pale and his face was covered in a pretty substantial beard. His arm was strapped to his chest and he had oxygen, with the nasal cannula. “Kellan,” I smiled, putting his gift onto the chair and hugging him. “I was so worried.”

He hugged me back, his good arm rubbing my back. “A gunshot won’t hold me down,” he snickered. He took my hand, smiling. “I’m glad that everything turned out alright.”

“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Edward said, giving Kellan a brief hug. “You look like shit, dude.”

“Yeah, well, losing almost all of my blood volume and having my chest cracked open will do that to a guy,” he shrugged. “Ow.” I whimpered and darted into the bathroom, throwing up my lunch. I stayed in there, my stomach betraying me in the worst way. I could hear Kellan ask, the concern clear in his raspy voice. I rinsed out my mouth and padded back to his room. “Bella, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sick.”

“It’s not you, Kellan,” I said. “My stomach is a little off. It should be better in about nine months.”

“More like six, baby,” Edward smirked, sliding his arm around my waist.

“I don’t get it. I’m on morphine and I’m stupid. Don’t speak in riddles,” he said, scrubbing his hand over his hair. “Ugh, I feel gross. But, tell me.”

“How do you feel about being an uncle, Kellan?” I asked.

“That hick knocked up my sister?” Kellan snarled and then coughed. I grabbed a pillow and held it to his chest as he coughed heavily. “I’m going to kill him.”

“No, Kellan,” I said, rubbing his back. “I’m pregnant. I think of you like a brother and our baby will have the best uncles in the whole world, Emmett, Jasper and you.”

“You’re pregnant?” Kellan asked. I pressed a straw into his mouth and he gently sucked. His eyes were wide. “Bella, I’m so happy for you. I know that the timing is not ideal.”

“Not really, but we needed this good news,” Edward smiled. Kellan tugged on my arm with his good hand and pulled into another awkward hug. He swiped at Edward’s shirt and made it a group embrace. “We’re probably heading to LA to see our doctor during the break.”

“Wait. Break? You’re continuing the tour?” Kellan whispered.

“We owe it to our fans, Kell,” I said, sitting down on a chair. “After the baby’s born, we’re taking some time to be parents. We’ll still create music, but it will be a long time before we go on tour again.”

“And if we do go on tour, it won’t be as extensive as this. Not with a baby,” Edward further added. “So, we’re keeping the baby part quiet and continuing the tour in two weeks, after the investigation is closed. We’re going to see our doctor at some point, but we’ll finish out the tour, hiding Bella’s pregnancy with clothes.”

“Alice is probably going to have a field day trying to rethink your wardrobe,” Kellan snickered. “A baby … I’m happy for you guys. I know I was slow on the uptake … morphine, blood loss …”

“Please, don’t mention blood loss,” I whimpered.

“Right,” Kellan said. “Anyway, my brain is not firing on all cylinders. Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” I smiled, squeezing his hand. “What about you? Leave out the gore, but what did the doctors say?”

“I may need one more surgery, but that will be determined by the head of orthopedics later today. I have a long recovery ahead of me. My lung was … I have to regain the lung volume. Plus, I have to go through physical therapy to relearn how to use my shoulder. But, I was lucky. One centimeter to the left and I would have been dead.”

“Kellan,” I whimpered.

“But, I’m not. I wounded, sore and kind of gross, but I’m alive,” he said. “Though, Nia is taking over as your manager for the time being since I’m out of commission. She’s not happy about it, but she’s ready for the challenge.”

“Who’s going to do the publicity?” Edward asked.

“Alice and she’s going to hire someone to act as your assistant,” Kellan said. “You’ll be fine. I’d prefer you take the time off, but I understand why you’re moving forward with the tour.” He slid his eyes to my present. “Is that candy?”

“Can you eat?” I giggled.

“In theory,” he snorted. “Though, the food they try to pass off as edible is questionable.”

“What do you want?” I asked, putting the candy bouquet in front of him. He beamed, plucking a Snickers off the bouquet. He tore the wrapper off and took a huge bite. He moaned, his head falling back. “Good?”

“So, good,” he said, barely coherent. Edward and I laughed and we knew that everything would be okay. We stayed for a little bit longer, but left so everyone else could get a chance to see Kellan, who had eaten a Kit Kat and some Laffy Taffy before the nurse took it away, much to his chagrin. Seeing him and knowing that he would make a full recovery, in time, put my mind at ease.

It was one more step in closing this chapter and moving onto the next. One that included our little nugget.

xx LMDC xx

A week passed and the investigation was closed by LVPD. Max was taken into federal custody. He confessed to everything and didn’t want to go to trial. He’d have to tell his side of the story in front of a federal judge, but that would happen at a later date. Pandora Security was also not implicated in the charges. Max was adamant that they had nothing to do with what happened. He made the decision to partner with James. He accepted whatever punishment and begged for leniency from the Pandora bigwigs.

It fell on deaf ears.

All of the crew who had worked with us had been fired for not seeing the threat that Max posed. I felt guilty about that, Ryan emailed saying that most of the crew had found other positions with different security firms. He was struggling since he didn’t get the letters of recommendation from his bosses because he was in charge, but after discussing it with Adele, Ryan was hired as the head of security for Twilight Records.

During the second week of our ‘break,’ Edward and I flew back to Los Angeles to meet with Dr. Sarah Castillo for our first OB appointment. I held the copy of the ultrasound and reports from the emergency room in my purse. We took off from a private airfield and landed at Van Nuys Airport a short time later. We used a car service, driving to the medical building where my OB/GYN’s office was located.

Riding up the elevator, Edward checked us in and I was directed to the bathroom to give a urine sample. I peed and placed it in the locker inside the bathroom. The nurse had me get on the scale and I was shocked that I’d gained weight. With the amount of vomiting I’d done, I thought I’d lost weight. We were directed into an examination room. I put on the gown and sat on the table, Edward holding my hand.

Dr. Castillo breezed in. She was petite, a little taller than me, with highlighted blonde hair, grey eyes and a friendly smile. “Hello, Cullen’s!” she chirped. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” I said. “A little nauseated, but good.”

“How often are you nauseated?” Dr. Castillo asked. She listened as I described my wonky stomach issues. “Well, let me run some tests and hopefully, you may be getting past that nausea sooner rather than later.”

“What if it continues?” I asked.

“Eat small meals. I found that sucking on ginger candies help,” she said. I wrinkled my nose. I was over ginger ale. “I have some that don’t taste too gingery. Now, let me check out your little bean.”

“Um, Nugget,” Edward chuckled. “When we first saw the ultrasound, the baby looked like a nugget.”

“Works for me,” she snickered. “Lay back.” She gave me an internal exam, prattling off medical terms to the nurse. Snapping off her gloves, she said that everything felt good and she went to get an ultrasound machine while the nurse took my blood. The ultrasound was more detailed than the one in the emergency room. I could see a lot more details on the baby. “Based off these measurements, you’re fourteen weeks pregnant. It also matches the number of hormones in your blood and your urine. Conception happened the third week of June. Your projected due date is February 20th.”

“Third week of June,” Edward breathed. “My birthday … maybe?”

“I think so,” I smiled. “Will we be able to see what we’re having?”

“Not yet,” Dr. Castillo said. “Now, I’ve got good news and bad news.”

“Bad news?” I whispered.

“Your baby is on the small side. But, you are a tiny woman, that’s to be expected. I do want you to increase your caloric intake and I’m giving you a prescription for anti-nausea medication. I know you don’t want to take it, but we need to get more weight on you,” Dr. Castillo said. “The good news is that despite your baby’s size, Nugget looks to be perfectly healthy. I know you’re on tour, but it’s winding down?”

“Another eight weeks,” Edward explained. “But, it’s more local. All on the west coast. We can come back here for appointments, if need be.”

“Good. I want to see you in two weeks,” she said. “Where will you be?”

“We haven’t received our updated tour schedule yet. Things are still kind of nebulous with the dates since we’re scrambling to reschedule venues, dates and cities,” I explained. “We may not be able to hit all of the canceled dates.”

“Well, make the appointment. We’ll do our best to be flexible for you,” Dr. Castillo said. “Congratulations, the both of you.” She handed us printouts of Nuggets newest scans. “See you in two weeks.” We smiled and I got dressed, in another chic but comfortable dress.

“I texted the driver and asked him to meet us in the back of the doctor’s office,” Edward said. “Nia said that there were paps who saw us get into the car at the airport, coming here.”

“Great,” I grumbled, smoothing my dress. I looked at my body. I didn’t look pregnant. I was feeling pregnant. My boobs were heavy and I’d gone up a cup size. I had to remove my nipple ring, unfortunately, because they were also very sensitive, too. My hips were also perpetually sore. Carlisle said that was due to my body was moving to accommodate my growing baby. It wasn’t noticeable, but the nagging ache was a reminder of my changing body. Finally, I couldn’t wear heels for very long. My center of gravity was off-kilter and I didn’t trust myself. I was now wearing ballet flats on a regular basis, much to Alice’s chagrin.

“He’s here,” Edward said. “Let’s make that appointment. We could use the Twilight jet in order to get to the appointment.” I nodded and we made it for late morning. With a wave, we left the office and got into the waiting car. Edward directed him to drive us to our home in Calabasas. Alice’s assistant had gone over there and opened it up yesterday. I was anxious to sleep in my own bed. Not hotel room, not a bed in some rental property, but my own bed. “You okay, _cantante?_ ”

“Anxious to be home. Even for just a day,” I said. “I want to figure out which room will become the nursery.”

“I’m thinking the guest room closest to our bedroom,” Edward suggested. “It’s big enough. It could easily transition into a child’s bedroom.”

“Edward, let’s be honest. Our sexual proclivities are quite, um, loud,” I giggled. “I’m thinking the room opposite the master bedroom. It’s the same size as our bedroom and we’re going to use a baby monitor.”

“This is true,” Edward snickered, his hand on my tiny baby bump. The privacy screen was up, thankfully. I was terrified that the driver would spill our secret. “When we get home, we can figure it out. We’ve got time to decide.”

“Whichever room we decide, it will have to be emptied out, painted and decorated,” I said, leaning against his side. The bruising on his face had faded to a sickly green and his side was still pretty tender. “Is this okay?”

“It’s the other side that’s wonky. You’re fine, Bella,” he said, kissing my temple. “Do you want to know what we’re having?”

“I do,” I said, putting my hands on top of his as he cradled my belly. “I know that there are so few true surprises anymore, but I don’t think I could not know. You know? I’m a planner.”

“It’s where you and Alice are scarily similar,” he laughed. “What do you want? A boy or a girl? And don’t say the bullshit what you don’t care, just as long as the baby’s healthy.”

I bit my lip, thinking about my response. “I’d love to have a baby boy, a miniature version of you,” I said. “With bronze hair, sparkling green eyes and a crooked grin. What about you?”

“A girl,” he replied, his lips pressed to my temple. “With endless brown eyes, curly mahogany hair and a beautiful voice. But, she’s never dating. Ever.”

“You already planning on locking up our hypothetical daughter up in a tower?” I laughed.

“Yep. I was a boy once. I know what hormonal assholes we can be,” he snorted, his lips moving to my neck and nibbling on my ear. “I’m hormonal now.”

“You’re telling me,” I whimpered. “Please tell me that you’re okay. I want to make love to my husband tonight. Celebrate our newest addition.” I looked up at him and bit my lip.

“Oh, baby, I want you so badly. Can you wait until we get home?” he choked out.

“Delayed gratification,” I said, moving closer to him and sighing. “I want to thank you for our baby.”

“It takes two to tango, Mrs. Cullen,” he barked. “But, I want to thank you, too.” He kissed my lips and caressed my cheek. “I also want you to meet our little Aria.”

“Our furbaby!” I beamed. “I’d forgotten about her.”

“Before we left, I called the shelter and Charlotte said that Aria is almost ready to be trained,” Edward said. “They’re going to use a foster family to train her. She’ll be good to go by the time we get back home.” As he said that, we pulled into our neighborhood. He spoke briefly to Felipe, who welcomed us back, and we were dropped off at our home. It felt so good to be here. Edward paid the driver while I went inside, flopping down on our family room sofa. It’s smooth leather molded to my body. “Comfortable?” he laughed.

“Hmmm, very,” I said. “Now, about that delayed gratification.”

“I’m more of a fan of instant gratification,” he purred before tugging me up and throwing my dress off my body. His clothes joined mine and we celebrated our baby’s conception, for the first time, on the couch in our family room. Then, in the kitchen, eating ice cream before Edward decided to eat me, making me scream. We made love all over our house, relaxed, frantic, tender, slow, hard and intense. We reconnected as much as we could until we both collapsed in a naked heap in our own bed.

The next morning, I was deliciously sore. Edward was moving slowly, too, but he had a shit-eating grin on his face, clearly over-the-moon about the baby and us being home alone – no family, no security guards, no looming threat of James – it was a much-needed respite. “Are you ready to go back?” he asked as we shared breakfast.

“Nope,” I said. “I loved being home. I truly did. I can’t wait until we’re home for good.”

“Soon, love. Very soon,” he replied, kissing my lips. “Now, let’s go meet our little fur-nugget.”

“Fur-nugget? No. Just no,” I laughed. “Daddy, this is Nugget.” I put my hands on my belly. “Aria is our furbaby. Real baby. Furbaby … there’s a difference.”

“Come on, baby,” Edward snickered. “Let’s enjoy one last moment alone before checking on our fur-child before we fly back to Vegas. It’s back to work after that.”

“Okay,” I said. We went up to our room, taking a shared shower, making love underneath the warm torrent of water. With a deep kiss and a sigh, we got dressed and rode to the local animal shelter. Charlotte, the manager of the shelter, met with us first and we filled out the paperwork, confirming Aria’s fostering and training. When we were done, she brought us into a small, but brightly colored room. She left and came back with a bundle of fur. “Ooooh,” I cooed. The puppy’s head shot up.

“Happy birthday, Mrs. Cullen,” she said, placing the dog in my arms.

Aria let out an adorable little bark and I snuggled her. “She’s even prettier than the picture. And she smells like vanilla!”

“She just had a bath,” Charlotte snickered. “Her brother had an accident and all of the litter was covered in poop.”

“Yuck,” Edward grimaced. “Were you a stinky girl, Aria?” The dog wagged its tail, licking Edward’s cheek. “Uh, I like human kisses. Not puppy kisses.”

“She’s fallen under your spell, Edward,” I giggled, kissing the dog’s head before putting her on the ground. She clumsily explored the room, but came wandering back to me. She sniffed my belly, cocking her head adorably. Then, Aria plopped down in front of me, her butt pressed against my stomach and her body tensed. “She’s protecting me.”

“I think she knows,” Edward said, gesturing to my belly. I scrubbed behind her ears and she relaxed, turning around a few times before curling up next to me. “She’s enamored with you, Bella.”

“It helped that you sent over some clothes. She recognized your scent,” Charlotte said. “But, I’ve never seen a dog react to you like she did, Mrs. Cullen. You two seem to share an unbreakable bond.”

“I wish I could take her with us,” I said, scooping Aria up and holding her to my body. She whimpered happily, cover my hands and cheeks with kisses. “Soon, little one.” I smiled at her adorable little face. “How much longer do we have, Edward?”

“The plane leaves in three hours. We can stay for another hour or so,” he said, giving the dug an affectionate nuzzle. I beamed, picking up a toy and spending the hour playing with Aria. It was bittersweet to leave and the puppy was not happy at our departure. I could hear her sad wails as Charlotte brought back to the holding area. We made arrangements to meet up at the foster family’s home the next time we were in Los Angeles.

As we got onto the plane at Van Nuys, I was strangely bereft. I wanted nothing more than to spend time with our newest addition to our family, decide on which room to make into a nursery and begin preparations for Nugget’s arrival. Upon our arrival in Las Vegas, I sighed. I was overjoyed with the popularity of our band and for the tour, but I wanted it over.

“Back to reality, hmmm?” Edward asked.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “But, the end is in sight.”

“Indeed,” he replied. “And then, our family will grow. We have a beautiful home, a loving marriage, an adorable furbaby and Nugget on the way.” I looked over at him, smiling wistfully. “I love you, Bella. Thank you.”

“For what? You knocked me up,” I snorted.

“Again, takes two to tango,” he quipped, caressing my cheek. “But, for making every dream I ever had come true. Thank you.” He kissed me and we got off the plane, ready to face the last leg of our tour. The end was in sight, but it was only the beginning of our lives together.

**A/N: We’re wrapping up folks. I will be breezing over the remainder of their tour, Max’s sentencing and their return home. A picture of Aria, the furbaby, is on my blog. Also, if you have a suggestion for what Bella and Edward should have, please let me know. NO, they are not having multiples. They are having ONE child. A boy or a girl? And give me name suggestions, too!**

**Thanks for reading! I’ll see you on the flipside! MWAH!**


	28. It's a Wrap

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**We’re wrapping up folks. I will be breezing over the remainder of their tour, Max’s sentencing and their return home. A picture of Aria, the furbaby, is on my blog. Also, if you have a suggestion for what Bella and Edward should have, please let me know. NO, they are not having multiples. They are having ONE child. A boy or a girl? And give me name suggestions, too!**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: It’s a Wrap!**

**EPOV**

To say the last six weeks after the _incident_ in Las Vegas were a blur was an understatement, to say the least. We got our updated tour schedule and it was packed to the gills with our performances, acoustic sets and appearances. We had our remaining dates that we needed to perform, plus the dates we had to reschedule. We’d just finished what would have been our final date before flying back to Dallas for that rescheduled performance from mid-August, followed by our last performance in Las Vegas.

Peoria and a few other locations just could not be rescheduled due to the venues being used and our personal time constraints. Meaning, the impending birth of our first-born child. Refunds were issued to ticket holders, or exchanges if they didn’t want their money back. We were bummed about not being able to get all of the dates we’d canceled, but it was inevitable. There were a lot of moving parts with the tour.

It was determined that after the final performance, we’d have a wrap party in Los Angeles, which was something that we were looking forward to. The end of our first tour. It was successful in the eyes of the record company, but a personal struggle for all of us. To celebrate its end, we decided it would be a Halloween party and we’d finally announce Bella’s pregnancy to the crew and to our fans. Alice had a public statement ready to go for the press, but we wanted to inform our Midnight Sun crew first. For our family, we’d be revealing the gender. Dr. Castillo put the gender into an envelope and we dropped it off to a local baker who was making the cake for the wrap party when we were in town for our last appointment. The color of the cake beneath the creepy fondant and décor would reveal what we were having … a girl or a boy.

Bree, the woman hired to be our assistant when Alice took over publicity and sharing Kellan’s responsibilities with Nia, was in charge of arranging the party and coordinating our schedule. We were having the wrap party at Hyde on Halloween, a week after our final concert in Vegas.

Five days after the sentencing hearing for Max. Closing that damn chapter, for good.

I knew that Bella was terrified to go back to Sin City. She had nightmares of what had happened in the arena, of what could have happened, but we had Skype therapy sessions with the woman that helped Bella when we first moved to Los Angeles. We were healing, slowly but surely. On top of that, Kellan was back with us. He wasn’t working, but he was supporting us. His arm was strapped to his side, working through his physical therapy. He couldn’t handle being home while we were working our asses off. So, the record company paid a physical therapist to join us on the last leg of our tour. Emmett, Jasper and I helped Kellan work out, as well.

“I’m so glad that the end is in sight,” Bella said, her feet up as I massaged them in our hotel room in New Jersey in mid-October. “Oooh, right there. In the arch. The flats are not very supportive.”

“Alice grumbles about them the entire time,” I snickered. “She misses dressing you all sexy.”

“I think I look sexy,” Bella argued. “Tonight, that dress was up to my hoo-ha! The people in the front row probably got a lovely view of my fat ass, or my support panties, sucking me in.”

“It’s not fat,” I chuckled. She made a face. “You’re beautiful. You can’t tell you’re pregnant while you’re dressed. Alice has done an amazing job putting you in clothes that fit with the feel of the band, but hiding your baby bump.”

“I’m grateful we have two more shows,” she said, sighing contentedly. “I don’t how much longer I can hide it, Edward.” She lifted her shirt, showing me her belly. It was no longer flat, but more rounded. She put her hands on her belly, rubbing it gently. “Nugget, people are going to notice you.”

“I do, but I’m also seeing how much you’re glowing,” I said, moving to her other foot.

“Is that a nice way of saying that I’m sweaty?” she teased, poking me with her toe. Her eyes were dancing and her nose was wrinkled.

“No,” I sang. “I’m saying you’re beautiful. Now that you’re able to keep food down, you don’t look green anymore.”

“I’m so glad that I don’t have to eat any more god damned crackers,” she laughed. “And ginger ale. Blech!”

“I don’t blame you there. I always equate ginger ale with being sick,” I grimaced. “Do you remember when I had the stomach flu in college?”

“You were pitiful,” she snickered.

“Yeah, I remember that feeling all too well,” I shuddered. “And you felt like that every morning?”

“Pretty much,” she shrugged. “But, unlike the stomach flu, after I threw up, I was ready to eat immediately afterward. But, only certain foods. There are foods that make my stomach turn. Smells, too.”

“Such as? I want to know to avoid them,” I chuckled.

“Coffee, fish, garlic and whatever perfume Amelia wore,” Bella answered. “It was too cloying. Too sweet.”

“So, no coffee,” I whimpered.

“You drink it to your heart’s content, baby,” she giggled. “But, just do it somewhere far from me. You’ve been great about it so far. I think it’s because you know I can’t really drink it in the first place. Caffeine is bad for Nugget.” She moved so she was leaning against me. “I feel badly for my dad. His entire diet is primarily fish. I had to tell him that he had to scour himself before he could within nostril range or else I’d puke on him.”

“What did he say?” I asked.

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” she laughed, shrugging. “Apparently I’d puke on Charlie when I was sick as a baby.”

“Poor Chief,” I snickered.

“It was better than with Emmett. He liked to shit on my dad,” Bella said. “And I’m not talking turds, I’m talking …”

“Okay, I get it,” I groaned. “This is what we get to look forward to as parents, Bella. Being covered in bodily fluids.”

“And that’s different from now how?” Bella quipped.

“We enjoy it. Immensely,” I growled, kissing her neck. She whimpered. She got up, tugging on my hand and dragging me to our bedroom in the hotel suite. Clothes were thrown off our body and we exchanged bodily fluids. And as I said, we enjoyed it. Immensely.

The next morning, we got up way too early and onto a plane, flying us to Dallas. Upon our arrival, we performed an acoustic set at the Dallas Arboretum for some charity function. It was an amazing show and it was nice to be able to mingle amongst the crowd without security hovering or having to perform numerous background checks on the people attending the performance. We took photos with some local sports celebrities, signed autographs and enjoyed the brisk late-fall evening.

Early the next day, we went to an alternative radio station, performing another, live acoustic set there and awarding tickets to our concert for the following evening.  As we were on the air, the DJ brought up our hiatus during our time in Vegas. “Now, I know that this tour has been a challenge for you,” he said. “What happened in Las Vegas? Why did you cancel that show and take two weeks off?”

“I’m not sure if you read the news, but we were dealing with a pretty significant threat against us,” Bella explained. “Someone from our past, a student assistant from when we were in college, blamed us for him losing his job. He became unhinged, seeking revenge. Long story short, he wanted a lot of money and scared a lot of people, us included, in order to get that money. There was a standoff in Vegas, causing injuries in our Breaking Midnight family. Edward had a concussion and our manager, Kellan Moore, was shot during the skirmish. Both are fine. Kellan is on the mend and in the studio.”

“What happened to the guy? The crazy dude?”

“He was shot as well, but died from his injuries,” I answered. “It was a scary moment, but we’re working through it. We have the support of our friends, family and most importantly, our fans. The outcry of support from them has been amazing. It’s because of them that we didn’t cancel the remaining dates on the tour. They’ve given us so much. We felt the need to give back.”

“And as a fan, I’m grateful for that,” the DJ laughed. “I’m sorry you had to go through that ordeal.”

“It’s been a challenge, but it made us grow closer,” Jasper said. “We were always friends, but now, we’re truly family. I love these guys and I’m blessed to call them my brothers and sister.”

“Well, I wish you the best of luck for your show tomorrow and I personally can’t wait to hear what you’re going to come up with next,” the DJ beamed. “Now, here’s the latest single from Breaking Midnight, a tribute from Isabella to her husband, ‘Until Forever Dies.’” He pressed a few buttons and the music began. Once he was off the air, he turned to us. “Off the record, you have to know that there was a lot of grumbling that you wouldn’t make up these missed dates. I knew that you were dealing with some issues in Oklahoma City and that was the reasoning for canceling the Dallas date, but I didn’t realize that it was that serious.”

“One of our security guys was involved, too. He’s got a sentencing hearing while we’re in Vegas after our last show,” I said. “It was scary as fuck, but we knew we had to give back to the fans.”

“You earned the respect of a lot of people,” he smirked. “Let’s just say, as a DJ, we get a lot of free tickets. I paid for my tickets for the show tomorrow. Thanks for coming in.” He shook our hands and kissed Bella’s cheek. We left the studio and clambered into the rental car. Swinging by the hotel, we picked up Alice, Nia and Kellan, heading to the Dallas Zoo. We were able to play, have fun and just be us. Yes, we had a few people ask for photographs or autographs, but we were left alone, for the most part.

After spending the day at the zoo, we went back to the hotel. Alice, Kellan, Jasper and Nia decided to go clubbing. Bella wanted to curl up with a good book and Emmett was going to spend the evening, talking to Ainsley.

He’d reached out to her about a week after we got back to touring. He apologized for losing his cool with her, but she was understanding about it. They’d been rebuilding their friendship, but I could tell that there was something more growing between the two. Emmett asked me for advice when he first started talking with her, when it came to wooing a woman. I arched a brow. “Wooing?”

“Wooing. You’re the king of that shit,” he chuckled. “My sister is eating out of the palm of your hand. She still does.”

“That’s because I love Bella,” I said. “Emmett, you know how to do it. Just listen to her, get to know her and the wooing will happen naturally.” He frowned. “Trust me.”

He did and things were progressing nicely between Ainsley and Emmett. Would they be more than friends? That remained to be seen, but there was a growing connection between the two of them and that made him happy.

“Hey, Edward,” Bella called, from her perch on the king-sized bed. “I got an email from Larry.”

“How’s he doing?” I asked, laying down next to her.

“Apparently very good. He sent us the first few recordings of our score of the movie,” she said. “Wanna listen?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. She bit her lip, cueing up the first track and starting the recording. You could hear the motifs of our theme song interwoven in the piece, with that alternative edge. “I liked that he took our suggestion and used an electric guitar and synthesizer.”

“And the organ,” she whispered. “It doesn’t sound like they recorded in a studio. Maybe a church?” She clicked over to his email. “Yeah, the recorded and performed in a large cathedral with this beautiful pipe organ. It adds that reverence and mystery to the score.” She clicked on the next recording, which was an orchestral rearrangement of the main theme we’d recorded for the movie.

“Ooooh, I like that,” I crooned. “Very nice. It has the same intensity of our song, but as instrumental piece.” Bella nodded, smiling widely. “It’s cool to perform our music in front of our fans, but hearing the recording? Like this? This is fucking cool.”

“It is,” she breathed. “The movie is also getting rave reviews, too. They’re talking about an Oscar buzz or something. It’s opening Thanksgiving weekend.” She clicked back to the message. “We’ve been invited. With us writing the score, I knew it was coming. I’m going to have to a dress made. With how much my belly is expanding, I’m going to need a maternity gown.”

“No matter what you wear, you’ll be beautiful, _cantante_ ,” I said, kissing her lips. She smiled at me, her eyes drooping. “Come on, love. Let’s get some sleep. We’re going to have a late night tomorrow because of the concert.”

“Okay,” she replied, closing her computer.

I took it, plugging into the charger. Bella was down for the count, curled around a pillow and snoring quietly. I chuckled, sliding her between the sheets and joining her. I put my hands over her growing belly and I massaged her soft skin. Bella sighed, burrowing closer to me. As she moved closer to me, I felt some flutters against my hand. I gasped, smiling as I felt my child moving in Bella’s tummy. “I love you both,” I whispered against her hair. I kissed her just behind her ear. Keeping my hand on her tummy, I drifted off to sleep.

xx LMDC xx

“Thank you, Dallas!” Bella said, holding up her hand. The lights went dark and we scrambled off the stage. Lou was waving a flashlight, concerned about Bella since she was clumsier than usual. _If only he knew why_. The crowd was screaming. It was nearly deafening. My ears were ringing, even through the protection I wore in my ears. We got into the green room. Alice helped Bella out of her mic pack. “One more show, folks.”

“I can’t believe it,” Emmett said, sucking down a bottle of water before pouring it over his head. “They were insane, but in the best way.”

“We earned a lot of points by coming back,” I shrugged, eager to shower since I felt grimy and nasty. I listened, my brows quirked. “They’re still screaming.”

“Chanting,” Kellan snickered, slipping into the green room. Alice walked over to him, kissing him sweetly. “They want more. The crowd is aware that you’re getting close to the end.”

“We are at the end,” Bella said, sipping some tea and plucking at her blouse. “Tomorrow, we fly to Vegas, perform at T-Mobile Arena, then we go to court two days after that. I loved touring, especially the last part where we weren’t hounded by a psychopath, but I’m ready to go home.”

“We all are,” Jasper said. “Now, let’s get our shit together and go back to our hotel. We have an early flight tomorrow.”

Bella made a face, wrinkling her nose. “I don’t want to go,” she said.

“I know, baby,” I said. “Last show. The end is near.”

“I just don’t want to go to Vegas. I’m freaking out about going to that arena. Yes, we’re going to be in a larger venue, but it’s still attached to the MGM,” she hissed, her eyes becoming panicked. I took her in my arms and she gripped my sweaty shirt. I breathed with her, cradling her head and whispering in her ear that we were safe. Kellan looked at her with sympathy. While he and I had received a brunt of James’ physical attack, his psychological warfare had wreaked havoc on my wife’s mind. She couldn’t do anything but talk or allow one of us to calm her down, talking her through her minor panic attacks. She eventually calmed, melting against me. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be like this. It’s bad for Nugget.”

“We all struggle, Bells,” Kellan whispered. “I’m with you. But, we’ll get closure in Vegas.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Max asked to meet with us. He wants to talk,” Kellan said, his voice icy. “I agreed to meet with him, but he wants to see you and Edward.”

“I don’t know,” I growled. “The stress from the tour and that bullshit … it’s too much. I don’t want anything to happen to my _family_.”

“I could go in your stead,” Kellan nodded.

“Let me think about it,” Bella said, her voice barely audible.

“Bella,” I argued.

“No, I want to consider it. Maybe if I give him a piece of my mind, it’ll help me move past it, Edward,” she said. “James fucked with us for four months and Max helped him. Because of the two of them, Kellan’s arm is fucked and you had a migraine for a month.” She slid her hand between us and cupped her baby bump. “Let’s go back to the hotel. I’m exhausted.” I nodded, kissing her lips as we clambered into the waiting SUV.

The next morning, we packed up our belongings. It was bittersweet, but welcomed that we would be going home after our business in Vegas. One more show, one more performance and the Midnight Sun Tour would be finished. A brief court appearance, possibly a meeting with a former employee and we’d be able to move on, putting the past behind us and looking toward the future, whatever that may hold.

The flight was quiet. Bella snoozed most of it, having not really slept well the night before. I idly played with her curls, reading a book on my iPad. Kellan walked over to us, sitting down across from me. “How’s the wing?”

“I hate being so gimpy,” he grumbled. “What makes it tough is that it’s my dominant hand. My handwriting is reminiscent of when I was in kindergarten. The fine motor skills aren’t what they used to be.”

“What did the physical therapist say about that? Is it permanent?” I asked.

“There was some minor nerve damage, but working with occupational therapist, I’ll get full movement back,” he said. “You never know how much you rely on something until you lose it.” He blinked to Bella. “How’s she?”

“Gets tired easily, but at least the puking has stopped,” I snickered. “We’re in the insatiable phase of pregnancy.”

“Really?” Kellan snorted, waggling his brows. “I never knew of that phase.”

“Me, neither, but who am I to deny my wife?” I shrugged, my fingers tracing down her pale cheek. “How are you and Alice?”

“She’s a godsend,” he breathed. “Don’t get me wrong. I was grateful that my parents came. I love them more than words can describe, but fuck me. My mother is so fucking overbearing. She wanted to wipe my ass. I have another working hand, Ma. Your eyes are not going to spy my junk.”

“So, my sister is wiping your ass,” I deadpanned.

“Ah, no. Though she’s great at sexy sponge baths,” he laughed. I shuddered, making a face at him. He just snickered. “Sorry, man.”

“No, you’re not,” I snorted.

“Consider it payback for all of the perviness I had to listen to between you and Mrs. Pornward. Anyhow, Alice is amazing and I love her more than words can say,” he whispered, almost reverently. He blushed, looking at me. “I asked your dad for his blessing when they were in Vegas while I was recuperating.”

“Are you going to propose?” I asked.

“I think so. The logistics is figuring out when,” he whispered. He blinked up and saw Alice chattering with Nia and Emmett. “I want it all with her. Wedding, a life, a family …”

“You know how Alice feels about babies,” I said.

“She’s afraid of passing down her bipolar disorder to them. I do know,” he replied. “There are children in the world who don’t have families that …”

“You’d be willing to adopt?”

“Anything for her. And if, by chance, we get pregnant, I’d be with her every step of the way. She said that the probability of her getting pregnant is slim because of a miscarriage she had when she was younger. Too much scarring,” he said, frowning slightly.

“Yeah, that miscarriage broke up her and Jasper up,” I grimaced.

“She told me everything and Jasper explained his side of the story, too. I talked to him, asking him if he thought it was weird that I was dating his ex,” Kellan said. “He said no. He still loved Alice and he wanted her to be happy. He saw that happiness when we were together. He saw glimpses of the girl he fell in love with and he wasn’t going to stand in her way. Then, I gave him shit about not popping the question to my sister.”

“And his response?” I laughed.

“’Don’t worry, Kel. I have a plan. Trust me,’ he said. Jasper’s flying by the seat of his pants,” Kellan shrugged.

“Jasper did mention something about his plan to me. But, that was before all of this craziness happened,” I said. “Your best bet is to trust him. I can see how much he adores Nia and they’re destined for each other.” Kellan nodded, shifting uncomfortably. “You okay?”

“It’s stiff. I don’t like to take too many pain killers. They make me loopy and honestly, I don’t want to become hooked,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “I had an uncle who had an addictive personality and I …”

“If you’re in pain, take something, Kellan,” I chided. “Even if it’s ibuprofen.”

He nodded. “Have you decided if you’re going to see Max?”

“She’s determined, but I’m worried about the baby,” I said. “I’ll support in whatever she decides, though. I want nothing more than to punch him in the teeth.”

“Get in line,” Kellan sighed. “Well, let me know what you decide. I need to call Travis to let him know.”

“He’s still there?”

“Determined to see this thing to the end,” Kellan said, getting up and heading back to the front of the plane. “His partner kind of sucked, but I liked Travis. He was a straight-shooter.” He sat down next to Alice, kissing her cheek. She handed him some medication and caressed his scruffy cheek. I smiled softly before looking back down at my sleeping wife. She hadn’t even moved, her head on my lap and her hands gripping my thigh. I idly played with her hair until the flight attendant had said that we were preparing to land. I begrudgingly woke up my wife, who was grumpy and confused. But, I held her to my side as we landed in Vegas, getting into a waiting limo and driving to the same rental property we’d stayed at after we were kicked out of the Wynn.

Upon our arrival, I was surprised that all of our families were there, including Kellan’s parents, Senior and Kathryn, Charlie, Sue, Carlisle and Esme, who explained that Jasper’s family were arriving later tonight, just before dinner. With that being said, a huge dinner was prepared and we set up the dining room for our family, celebrating our last performance and our first tour.  

Bending to Bella’s cravings, we had a variety of Spanish and Mexican dishes. Sue, Jasper and Bella worked the hardest to make the meals, with my mom, Amelia and Kathryn acting as sous chefs. On the way back from the airport, picking up Jasper’s parents, Ruth and Wilbur, Senior, Carlisle and Charlie picked up some churros and ice cream for dessert. Dinner was a lot of fun.

And messy. I think that Bella wore most of her meal on her shirt, as did Kellan. Though, Kellan did because he was determined to use his left hand to eat. Bella was just anxious to devour the cheesy goodness of the enchiladas, empanadas and tacos. She went upstairs, changing into a different shirt and she moaned when she saw the Nutella stuffed churros that her father had purchased at a taqueria, along with vanilla ice cream.

“Baby cravings?” I chuckled.

“You have no idea,” she giggled, enjoying her dessert. “I’ve just been craving really spicy food or sugary treats.”

“Do you know what you’re having?” Amelia asked. She was sitting next to Ruth, Jasper’s mother, getting to know her.

“We found out at the last ultrasound,” Bella answered. “Our OB put it in envelope. We gave it to a baker, who’s making a cake for our ‘wrap’ party for the tour on Halloween. You’ll find out when we do.”

“Have you felt the baby?” Nia asked. “You should be feeling flutters or something.”

“I’ve been feeling flutters for a few weeks now,” Bella said, her hand resting on her tummy.

“I felt my first flutter,” I said proudly. “Last night. We’ve got a future soccer star.”

“My kidneys would agree,” Bella laughed. “You felt the baby?” I nodded, kissing her temple. She sighed, moving so she was right against me. I draped my arm over her shoulders and my other hand was on her belly, praying I’d feel our Nugget move again.

“Are you guys looking forward to being done with the tour?” Senior asked. “I bet you want to get home. Nesting, Lizzie called it. She wanted to make sure everything was _perfect_ for the baby when we had Edward.”

“I’m desperate to get home,” Bella giggled. “We have a lot of work to do to the nursery. Painting, decorating, putting together the crib …”

“After we decide which room will be the nursery,” I snickered. Bella shrugged, nodding as she threaded her fingers with mine as it rested on her belly.

A few hours later, the food had been put away and we were all outside around the fire pit. Jasper and I were playing our acoustic guitars. Mine had been replaced by my father when he found out that ‘new one’ that Bella had purchased for me for my birthday had been destroyed by James. It was a gorgeous instrument and I was grateful for it, but it didn’t hold the same sentimental value as the blue guitar Bella had purchased for me. It was a perfect evening, spending time with my family.

Looking around the circle of people around the fire, I saw that family wasn’t just determined by blood and relationships. It was so much more. With these people, I’d found my soul mate, married her and we were living the dream. I got to work with my three best friends. I had the support of not one set of parents, but three and I loved everyone. They all would be a part of our child’s life. It was an irrevocable bond.

One that I would never forget and forever be grateful for.

xx LMDC xx

“Edward, sit still. You’re looking shaggy,” Alice growled. “Between Bella’s weird cravings and expanding waistline, Kellan’s beard and Emmett’s hatred of deodorant, this band is going to hell in a hand basket.”

“Emmett doesn’t hate deodorant. He’s just really, really sweaty. I think he wore one of those fitness trackers for one concert … worked off over 5,000 calories and walked the equivalent of a marathon, Alice. He wears antiperspirant, deodorant and cologne, but he just sweats it off,” I snickered. “And don’t be hating on Bella’s belly.”

“I had a hard time finding an outfit to hide it for tonight. She really popped out overnight,” Alice said, her fingers weaving through my too-long hair. “She’s wearing some tunic thing and a pair of leggings, with some knee-high boots. Nia is taking care of her makeup and hair. Kellan’s also talking to her, too. She’s been feeling guilty ever since she walked into this building.”

“It’s too close to where it all happened, Ali,” I shrugged. “Knowing that James got to us, hurt Kellan, and attempting to hurt me. Plus, his leering scowls at Bella, wanting to …” I felt my blood pressure spike as I remembered his words.

“He threatened to rape her?” Alice whispered.

“He’d forget the money if he could just fuck her, Alice,” I growled. “Bella was freaking out, but adamantly refused, obviously. But, her nightmares are of James succeeding in doing just that. Or killing me and Kellan.”

“Shit,” Alice said. “I know that Bella was physically unharmed during this whole thing, but I’d forgotten about the psychological effects of a situation like this. And her being pregnant, she can’t take anything, can she?”

“No. We’ve been talking to a therapist and getting it out helps, but it’s still fresh. And being here, in Vegas, in this venue? It’s emotional overload,” I sighed. “But, I think that after we’re done with this performance, we talk to Max and hear the sentence from the judge, things might improve. It’s closure.”

“Right. Now, let’s get your hair cut. I want to take a picture and post it on the band’s Instagram. #FinalPerformance,” she snickered. She finished wielding her scissors, styling my hair and handing me a dark green V-neck t-shirt. I put it on and stuffed my feet into a pair of boots, heading to the green room.

Since we were in a different, larger venue than the original concert, it was a different green room, thankfully. Bella was wearing a black flowy tunic, with hints of green shimmer in the fabric. Her legs were wrapped in tight leggings with a pair of black booties. Her hair was curled and pinned over her shoulder. She wore her emerald jewelry I’d given to her for our wedding present. Her makeup was dark, sexy and sultry. I walked over to her, sliding my arms around her waist. I kissed her neck. “Love you, _cantante_ ,” I whispered. “You look so sexy.”

“I feel like a whale, but thank you,” she said, turning around and kissing my lips.

“Guys, get together,” Alice chirped. We did and I stood behind my wife. I was kissing her neck as Alice snapped several pictures. “Perfect! Break a leg tonight!”

“Don’t say that, Alice. I’m wearing heels,” Bella wailed.

“You’ll do fine. They’re not that high,” Alice chided.

“Carrying a baby, Alice. I’m clumsier than normal,” Bella snorted.

“Alright, let’s get together and do our final prayer. Alice, Nia and Kellan are going to be watching with our families,” Jasper said. “Hold hands.”

“Ahem,” Kellan said, wiggling his fingers in his sling.

“You know what I mean, asshole,” Jasper laughed. Alice rolled her eyes and gently took his hand that was in the sling and linking her fingers with mine. I held Bella’s hand, closing my eyes and allowing Jasper’s quiet, but reverential voice carry us through our pre-show routine. His prayer was more somber, but still as uplifting and comforting as always. He must have known that there was a lot of nerves surrounding this final performance. He ended it with the Lord’s Prayer, pulling us all in. “I love you guys. I’m blessed to share a stage with you. It’s been a crazy road, but I’m grateful I got to do it with all of you. Now, let’s go out with a bang and kick some epic ass!”

“Only you would say this beautiful prayer, finishing it with us kicking some epic ass,” Emmett deadpanned.

“I’ve got skills,” Jasper beamed, giving him a shitty grin. Emmett rolled his eyes, ruffling Jasper’s hair.

With that, Alice, Kellan and Nia went up to the sky box where our families were watching our performance. Bree came in, helping us with our ear protection. When we were ready to go, we went up to the stage and listened to the Cliff Hangers perform their opening set. When they finished, the lights went down and the crowd went nuts. They scrambled off the stage. We got hugs from them as they left and the stage was reset with our instruments and microphones. With Lou’s gruff order, the intro music began and the screens lit up. I took Bella’s hand, helping her through the maze of instruments, cords and equipment. Once on stage, I kissed her tenderly. “I love you, Bella. I’m so proud of you.”

“I love you more,” she whispered back, squeezing my fingers. I kissed her once more before I slid my guitar over my body. With Lou’s unnecessary count-off, I picked up along with the music and it was faded out. The lights came up and our final performance began. It crackled with an intensity that I’d never experienced. Bella’s voice was angelic, ethereal and perfect. It had the smooth soprano like Amy Lee from Evanescence, with the rocking grit of Alanis Morrissette. She was flirtatious, sexy and confident. I would have never thought that she was anxious about this performance with her swagger on stage.

The performance went by too quickly. We performed our encore, adding “More than Words,” which I serenaded to my wife, earning coos and cheers from the female members of the audience. Then, Bella serenaded me with her song to me, “Until Forever Dies,” before we ended with our most famous song, “La Cantante.” I removed my guitar and kissed her, dipping her. She laughed against my lips and we waved at the audience. With one more thank you, the lights went down and Lou helped us off stage. Bella hugged him, kissing his cheeks and thanking him for everything he’d done. He blushed, cupping her face.

“And don’t forget … Halloween … eight o’clock. Wrap party,” she said, squeezing his hands. “You’ll let the crew know, right?”

“They already do,” he chuckled. “Thank you. All of you. It’s been a pleasure working with you and I’m glad I got to go out with a bang.”

“Go out?” Jasper asked.

“This is my last show. I’m retiring and moving to Boca,” he snickered. “I’m older than dirt and I want to enjoy my grandkids.”

“Surely, you can’t have grandchildren,” Bella said. “You don’t look like you’re old enough to have grandchildren.”

“Five of them and trust me, I feel it,” he laughed. “My bones creak like popcorn. Anyway, thank you for making my last tour a memorable one.” He hugged her again and shook our hands before scuttling off to make preparations to dismantle the set.

When we made it to the green room, our families were already there. We were swept up in hugs, kisses and words of congratulations. Charlie looked at Bella and Emmett with such pride. It was another entity in the room. I smiled for them, for all of us. We’d banded together and put on an amazing show.

We rode back to the mansion. Bella and I took a shared shower before falling into bed, making love until the sun rose. We slept most of the day away, but were dragged to the Venetian by Emmett. We hadn’t explored the strip the last time we were here and so we decided to have a little fun. It was hysterical to see Bella trying to play blackjack. She was terrible, but she kept trying to beat the dealer. After losing almost a thousand dollars, she gave up and colored out, leaving the ten-dollar chip for the dealer, along with a hundred dollars from my pile. We left the blackjack table, trying our hand at roulette and finally ending up at some of the slot machines.

Suffice it to say, it was not a good night for the Cullen finances, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.

And not like we needed to worry about our finances. With our financial advisor, Marty, we’d invested most of our money and our grandchildren would still be able to be millionaires. Marty was the shit.

The following day, we dressed sedately and got into one of the cars at the rental property. I drove us to the courthouse. We’d be meeting with Max first before we’d go in to the sentencing hearing, where Kellan was speaking on behalf of our entire band. I was wearing a gray suit with a white shirt and black tie. Bella was wearing a black dress with another pair of leggings and flats. Kellan was dressed similarly to me, but no tie. Alice wore a black pant suit, holding Kellan’s hand and barely containing her ire.

Parking at the courthouse, we met up with Travis and George. They led us into a conference room. Travis spoke about what to expect. “This is highly unusual. We’re surprised you actually wanted to meet with him,” he said.

“Closure,” Bella said, arching a brow. “You have to understand that. James got off easy. I want to know Max’s reasoning.”

“I do get that,” Travis nodded. “He will be cuffed to the table.” Travis gestured to the metal bar atop the table. “But, he’s not a threat. He’s truly remorseful about what he’s done. He’s ready to accept whatever punishment he receives.” He looked at us, arching a brow. “You ready?”

“Let’s get this shit done,” Kellan said.

Travis left and returned with two burly officers and a down-trodden Max. They sat him down at the table, latching his hands to the bar. Max gave them a grimace, but blinked up at Bella, Kellan and me. Alice was waiting outside with the district attorney. She was too volatile and wanted to stomp Max’s face in. _Not that I blame her._ “Thank you for seeing me,” Max said, his rich voice soft and empty.

“We’re not doing it for you,” Bella said coldly. “We’re trying to move on. Perhaps hearing why you decided to stab us in the back will give us the closure we so desperately need.”

Max looked up at her, blinking over to Kellan and then finally me. “I don’t have a reason why, really. I listened to Jimmy, James, and I felt for the guy. He was misunderstood when he was your teacher.”

“He stared at her like she was naked, or a steak or something,” I sneered. “How is that misunderstood?”

“I don’t know. It made sense when I was with him and then I was fucking pissed when I was fired from Pandora,” he said.

“For good reason. We trusted you, Max. You were a part of the team that was to ensure the safety of the band and yet, you were the main reason why the safety measures we had in place failed,” Kellan snapped. “We treated you like family.”

“No, you didn’t,” Max scoffed.

“When you started acting like this, we didn’t,” Bella argued. “But, at the beginning, we included you. I don’t know what we did to turn you off or if it was James who brainwashed you to think that we were the assholes. He was the fuck up. Not us.”

“I see that now,” Max sighed. “I know it means very little, but I’m sorry for what I did and how I helped James. I was pissed and I wanted my own revenge. James promised me money so I could start fresh and I figured I’d take it and run. I helped him with the technology and rigging everything to look realistic, but I couldn’t do it. I was grateful when I was caught by the police. Nothing can stop the guilt I feel for what I’ve done. I’ll forever be known as a terrorist by being complicit in James’ plans. I’m sorry … so sorry …”

“Apologies mean nothing. You had a hand in the nightmare. It will be a long time before any one of us feels safe, normal. I have nightmares of you killing my husband or Kellan, a man who I think of like a brother,” Bella sneered. “James said he’d drop the whole idea about the money if he could fuck me. I have nightmares about that, too. So, what you did, what that monster did, was fucked up and you deserve whatever the gives you.” She stood up, looking at Travis. “I’m done with this piece of trash.” She turned on her heel, stomping out of the room.

“If only I didn’t have a fucked up arm,” Kellan hissed. “This is your fault, asshole.” He followed my wife, leaving me with Max, who was quietly crying.

“You don’t get to cry. I held her when she was terrified, pleading for this to be over. I did everything to protect her, but you worked with that monster, making you just as much of a monster as he is. Yes, you realized your mistake, but it was too little, too late,” I said. He blinked up at me, his dark eyes brimming with tears. “You could have ended this, Max, but your hatred, stupidity and greed … I hope your satisfied. Fuck you and I pray you never see me again. I won’t be as controlled.” I spat on the floor, leaving the room and finding my wife. I took her into my arms. She was shaking like a leaf, but not crying.

We went inside of the courtroom shortly after that. It was called to order, Kellan spoke and the judge rendered his sentence, thirty years in a federal prison. He blamed Max for Kellan’s injury and it lengthened his sentence, substantially. We left the courthouse, packed up our belongings and traveled to the private airfield to take the Twilight jet back to Los Angeles with our families, who were going to celebrate the end of the tour with us on Halloween.

We were driven back up to Calabasas. Bella was snoozing on my shoulder. When we arrived at our house, she roused and was a little confused. I unlocked the door and jumped when I heard Bella yell. “What the hell are you doing here?”

**A/N: Who’s there? Who has returned? Leave me your thoughts … along with baby genders/names. Again, they are having ONE child (not multiples). A boy or a girl?**

**Up next will be the wrap party, gender reveal, _High Life_ red carpet and perhaps one more lemon. It will also be the final chapter before the epilogue. Thank you for reading! **

 

 


	29. High Life

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**Up next will be the wrap party, gender reveal, _High Life_ red carpet and perhaps one more lemon. It will also be the final chapter before the epilogue.**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: High Life**

**EPOV**

We went inside of the courtroom shortly after that. It was called to order, Kellan spoke and the judge rendered his sentence, thirty years in a federal prison. He blamed Max for Kellan’s injury and it lengthened his sentence, substantially. We left the courthouse, packed up our belongings and traveled to the private airfield to take the Twilight jet back to Los Angeles with our families, who were going to celebrate the end of the tour with us on Halloween.

We were driven back up to Calabasas. Bella was snoozing on my shoulder. When we arrived at our house, she roused and was a little confused. I unlocked the door and jumped when I heard Bella yell. “What the hell are you doing here?”

**BPOV**

Standing on my driveway, staring at my brother was Rosalie. She was dressed impeccably, in a sleek suit and heels. Her blonde hair was cut into a chic bob and her eyes were narrowed. “I asked you a question. You made it abundantly clear that you were done with us. What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped.

“Isabelly, calm down,” Emmett said, his hands out. “It’s not good for …” I shook my head, not wanting Rosalie to know that I was pregnant. I mean, you could tell if you looked hard enough, I still wasn’t showing as much as most women who were roughly five months along, but still. “I’m just as surprised as you are, but we’re just going to talk.”

“You’re going to talk to her? After the grief she put us through? Heaven forbid you stop fucking whatever guy you were with in order to put people who were once your family at ease,” I snapped.

“Like your brother gave me the same consideration,” Rose scoffed.

“If that’s how you’re going to act, you can take your ice princess ass and go home,” Emmett snarled. “The man who tortured us for months said that he raped and lit you on fire. All we wanted was a five-minute phone call, Rose. I know that you want out of our lives, but it’s called common courtesy. Despite our history, we were worried because we still love you.”

Rose pursed her lips, blinking at Emmett. “I was harsh and I’m sorry about that,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Harsh?” I growled. Edward came back out, his hand tugging on mine. “NO! You were our family. You were my sister, my best friend, but you threw us away. You blamed us all for what Emmett did. _Emmett_ made the mistake. It’s a mistake he’s going to have to live with, but he was at least remorseful. You were just a bitch when we needed you. I’m done with you. You hurt him, you deal with me and I won’t be as kind.”

“Bells,” she whispered.

“Isabella,” I sneered, turning on my heel and walking into the house. I heard Emmett and Rosalie talking, then yelling. Emmett asked for the keys to the house he now owned without her and I saw the rental car she’d driven pull away. I sipped some water, my hand rubbing my belly. Nugget must have felt the heightened emotions. The baby was doing somersaults inside. I blew out a breath, happy to be home, but disgruntled that my ex-sister-in-law decided to randomly appear. I just wanted to unpack my clothes, begin a load of laundry and then peruse the internet, finding baby furniture for the nursery, maybe decide on a theme.

_You really can’t do that until you know what you’re having._

“You okay, Bella?” Edward asked. Emmett was behind him.

“Aggravated,” I shrugged. “What was she doing here?”

“She said she needed to pick up some belongings from the house that she’d forgotten. She didn’t feel comfortable about going in there without my permission, even though she had keys,” Emmett answered. “I told her to give me a list of her shit and I’d send her crap.”

“Who was that woman? That wasn’t Rosalie,” I sneered.

“Bella,” Edward said, pulled me into his arms. “Please, calm down. Your face is flushed and it’s not good for Nugget.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” I sighed, pressing my cheek to his chest. “I just … she’s so angry, unfeeling.”

“She had to put up a wall to deal with my bullshit, but you gave her a thorough tongue-lashing,” Emmett snickered. “She was abashed at your comment about her fucking some guy, not even caring about us.” He gave me a smirk. “He dumped her not long after the drama with James torching Victoria.”

“Good,” I said. I blew out a breath, the fight leaving me. “Good …”

“Come on, love. Why don’t you go upstairs and take a nap? Emmett and I need to go shopping. We don’t have much by the way of food,” Edward said, helping me up the stairs. He tucked me into the bed. “Any requests?”

“Spicy and lots of ice cream,” I mumbled. He nodded, kissing my lips and closing the blackout curtains. I was asleep, snoring before the door was closed. When I woke up, I was disoriented. I sat up and ran to the bathroom since Nugget was using bladder to tap dance on. I peed, washed my face and changed into something comfortable. I went downstairs, smiling to see my husband cooking in the kitchen. “So, domesticated, Mr. Cullen.”

“Hmmm, you’d think,” he snickered. “I’m just reheating. I was in the mood for chili and we had some in the freezer.”

“Sounds good,” I said, sitting down at the island. “How’s Em?”

“He’s fine. Looking to put his house on the market. He’s probably going to move into something smaller, closer to Jasper. Though, Kellan and Alice are talking about moving in together and are considering moving into Emmett’s old house,” Edward chuckled.

“No. That house is cursed. They need something that is for _them,_ ” I said as Edward put a glass of milk in front of me. “Thank you, baby.” I blinked up, watching as Edward made us our dinner. “It seems too quiet. I’m almost expecting Jasper to come strolling in with Nia and Emmett to be tapping on some sort of table.”

“I give it a day or two before they descend back on us,” Edward snickered. “Your dad and Sue are with Emmett, giving us our space, but I think they want to come over here to inspect our soon-to-be nursery.”

“We need to decide which room,” I said, sipping my milk. “The room closest to ours or the one across the hall?”

“To be honest, the baby will probably be with us for the first few months, but I’d like to think that the room across the hall would be the best fit. There’s a bathroom attached.”

“The room that Emmett stayed in while he was dealing with the Rose fallout?” I asked. Edward nodded, putting some water into a pot. I smiled, thinking it was perfect for our little Nugget. “You’re a genius, baby.”

“We’ve got a house with six bedrooms. It’s not like we don’t have the space,” he snorted. “Pull out your computer. We can at least look at nursery bedroom stuff. We don’t have to decide. You know?”

“But it’s all dependent on the baby’s gender, Edward. I don’t want to choose some frilly girly set and then find out we’re having a boy, changing the entire room décor,” I argued. “We’ll wait until after Halloween. Until then, you can get the guys to help you unload the stuff from that bedroom so we can have a clean slate, Daddy.”

He grinned widely. “I’m going to be a daddy,” he crooned. “I still can’t believe it.”

“Me neither and I’m baking our little human,” I giggled. “We should think about names.”

“Again, that would be helpful if we knew the gender,” he chuckled.

“Well, I was thinking, for a girl, we could name her Elizabeth. After your mom?” I whispered. He blinked up, his green eyes wide with wonder. Biting my lip, I continued. “For a boy, we could do a male version of Elizabeth, Elias or Elijah? I want to honor the grandmother our baby will never know, but the woman who gave birth to you.”

Edward turned off the burners and stalked over to me. His hands cupped my face and he had tears in his eyes. “Do you know how much I love you?” he asked, his voice rough, filled with emotion. He crashed his lips against mine, tangling his fingers into my hair. I massaged his back, opening my mouth to allow his tongue entrance. He kissed me feverishly, until we had to breathe. He panted heavily. “I’m so blessed right now. A beautiful wife, a career that I love, and a child on the way …” He blinked at me. “Either name is perfect for our Nugget. Elizabeth or Elijah Cullen.” He pressed his hand to my belly, which earned his palm a kick. “You like your name? Whichever one you are …”

“I think Nugget does,” I snickered, putting my hands over his. I looked up at him and I smirked. “You know, I’m not very hungry for food anymore. I have a different hunger now.”

“As much as I want to sate your _hunger,_ we haven’t eaten since before we went to the courthouse. You both need food. It’s been an emotional day, in more ways than two,” he quipped, kissing me tenderly and dropping to his knees, kissing my belly. “I need to provide for my wife, my child.” He caressed my cheek once more and went back to making our dinner. It was a hasty meal, but delicious. I was hungrier than I thought, eating two helpings. However, after dinner, we put the leftovers away and we went upstairs, making love to each other, reclaiming our solace, our happiness and celebrating our homecoming.

xx LMDC xx

The next day, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Senior and Dad came over, clearing out the bedroom. We put the furniture into the unfinished portion of our basement. Alice and Nia gave me some ideas for nursery furniture, but I said I wanted to wait until the gender reveal. The one thing we did decide to do while the guys were working on emptying out the bedroom was getting our Halloween costumes. Clambering into the car, Kellan drove us to the costume shop we’d ordered them from. He couldn’t help since he was still gimpy. So, he decided to come with us.

“It feels weird to not have security surrounding us all the time,” Alice said from the front seat. “Not that I miss it.”

“I’m just happy that the ordeal is over. Max is behind bars. James is dead and we can finally move on,” I said.

“How’s Emmett?” Nia asked. “He said that Rose was at his house yesterday.”

“I don’t really know, but I was pissed,” I scoffed.

“Rose called me,” Alice muttered. “She wanted to talk. So, she came over to my townhouse. She talked and she said that she wanted to apologize, but you didn’t want to hear it.”

“She was copping a fucking attitude,” I sneered.

“She also said that, too,” Alice snorted. “We may just have to move on without her. I’ve pretty much washed my hands of her. Though, she did ask about you, Bella. She was wondering if you were pregnant.”

“You didn’t tell her, did you?” I asked.

“Nope. She lost that right to know when she acted like a heinous bitch to us during the drama with James,” Alice smirked. “I also told her that she needed to give _us_ some space. We just got home and we needed to decompress.”

“And yet, we’re out shopping,” Kellan deadpanned.

“No, you’re the chauffeur,” Nia giggled. He flipped her the bird at a stop light. “After the costume shop, we need to check out Hyde to make sure that the party is ready to go.” Kellan grumbled under his breath, making a face. We just laughed at him as he pulled into the parking lot of the costume shop. We didn’t need to try on the costumes. They had already been ordered. We just needed to pick them up. I paid for them and with the help of some of the employees, we loaded them up in Kellan’s SUV.

He drove us to Hyde. Alice spoke with the manager. The party was confirmed and final payments were made. With that, the specialty company we’d hired would transform the night club where we went after the Grammys into a haunted mansion. The guest list was handed over to the head of security and we drove back to the house. Alice and Nia helped with the costumes while Kellan helped me in my clumsiness. “You doing okay, Bells?” he asked.

“I am. Just a little off-kilter since I’m all belly,” I snickered. “How’s your arm?”

“I’m starting occupational therapy. I need to get my fine motor skills back,” he said. “I’m also working on packing up my place. I’m moving in with Alice until we find something we both like in this neighborhood. I know that Emmett’s selling his home. Alice suggested buying it, but it’s got bad mojo.”

“I said the same thing,” I snickered.

“But, with the bonus check I’m getting from Twilight, along with the disability payment for my injury, I can purchase a place without a mortgage,” he snorted. “I’d rather use that than pay the government.”

“Why do you think I donate so much?” I quipped.

“Smart woman,” he said. “Look, I know that Rosalie is someone who’s no longer welcome in our family. She seemed genuine when she was over at Alice’s townhouse. Could it be that she’s upset that she got dumped by the guy? Who knows? I spoke to her, an outsider to another outsider. I explained to her about how upset you all were when we thought it was her that was burned and how cold her response was. She apologized, but I said that I wasn’t the one to get the apology. Anyhow, she may be reaching out. You’re upset now, but don’t give up on her.”

“It’ll take time,” I muttered. “I don’t know if I can forgive her for how cold she was, how cruel.”

“I don’t blame you, Bells,” he replied. “But, life’s too short to hold a grudge. Look at Edward and his biological father.”

“Their relationship is still not the same,” I said.

“But, Senior probably hates himself for losing all that time with Edward. I know it’s not the same, but … yeah … I’ll shut up now,” he chuckled, running a hand through his too-long hair.

“You’re shaggy, Kellan,” I said.

“I need a haircut,” he replied. “I’m just hesitant with anyone going near my shoulders or arms. They still hurt. A lot.”

“Alice can cut hair. She styled Edward’s hair before the final performance,” I smirked. “But, after the party. The longer hair will go better with your costume.”

“What am I going to be?” he asked, arching a brow.

“Alice didn’t tell you?” I snickered. He shook his head. “A voodoo priest. It’s a sexy, but fun costume.”

“I’m not sexy, Bells,” Kellan laughed. “I’m a nerd.”

“Edward would say the same thing, Kellan. And I think he’s the hottest man on the planet,” I smirked. “Rest assured, Alice thinks the same about you.”

After everyone left, Edward and I discussed what furniture pieces we’d want for the nursery and then we tried on our costumes for the party. We were both going as Greek gods. Wearing a toga seemed much more comfortable than a corseted monstrosity that Alice wanted me to wear. _Did she forget that I’m pregnant? A corset with a baby belly? Not a comfortable option._ Edward was going to be dressed like Hercules, a Greek warrior, with a shield, breast plate, and sexy-as-hell broad sword. Mine was more akin to the goddess of love. The costumes fit perfectly and mine even had room for me to grow in the stomach, thankfully. I was terrified it would be too tight.

The next couple of days were spent making final preparations for the wrap party, plus picking up Aria from the doggy-foster parents. The morning of the party came and it was a typical Los Angeles day … sunny, warm and perfect.

The women, including Esme, Sue, Amelia and Kathryn, came over to my house to get ready. I’d made arrangements for a set of Hollywood makeup artists to come over to do our hair and makeup. I was surprised when the _moms_ decided to also dress up for the party. They weren’t as intense as our costumes, but they were cute. Esme went as June Cleaver. Sue decided to play up her heritage and go as a Native American princess. Amelia chose to be a cat and Kathryn, she was probably the most risqué, dressing as a sexy prisoner, with Senior being her ‘jailer.’

The guys were getting ready at Emmett’s house before he was going to put it on the market. We were all taking separate limos, but leaving from our address.

“How does it feel to be home?” Esme asked as she had her hair curled and pinned up into an elegant up-do.

“I think once we are done with the wrap party, we’ll be feel more settled. We’ve got the red carpet for the movie we wrote the score for, but that’s not until the weekend before Thanksgiving,” I chuckled as my hair was curled and twisted. My fingers idly ran through Aria’s fur and she snuggled closer to me.

“Was that hard?” Kathryn asked. “I don’t have a musical bone in my body. I know that you and Edward, along with the rest of the band, are incredibly talented, but I don’t know the first thing about writing music.”

“We have our strengths,” I answered. “My strength is in my perfect pitch and ability to dissect a piece, making it sound cohesive. I can write melodies. Case in point, ‘Until Forever Dies’ was written by me, but is it as dynamic as something that Edward has written? No. He adds so much more to the melodies and uses unique harmonies. It was us working together that made the score for _High Life_ really fun. Plus, our old theory professor was one of the musicians who collaborated with us on the project. He sent us some rough cuts of the recordings. It’s really cool.”

“Can we hear it?” Sue asked.

“We’re under contract. So, we can’t share it until the movie’s released, or until the soundtrack has been released,” I frowned. “I can tell you that the movie sound track is based off the single we released from the movie. It has a similar sound.”

“I think that ‘Until Forever Dies’ sounds beautiful,” Alice argued, her makeup applied with a heavy hand. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“Agreed,” Nia said. “And it wouldn’t _still_ be number one on the alternative charts and the number one download on iTunes if it sucked, Bella. I mean, really.” She shot me a wry look as she had a wig put on in two long flowing pigtails. Nia was going as a sexy Little Red Riding Hood.

“Okay, okay,” I laughed. We prattled on about the movie premier and Alice said she was working on finding me a designer for the dress. Since we’ve been home, my stomach seemed to have doubled in size. I found myself rubbing my belly and Nugget tracked my hands. It was really cool. But, the baby loved to hear Edward. When he had conversations with my belly? I damned near melted and Nugget would flip over, do somersaults and kick to his or her heart’s content. Nugget loved Daddy already.

With our makeup done, we put on our costumes. Nia had out her camera, taking photos for us, but also for the official Breaking Midnight Instagram. She would not post the photos until after the party, which would also put out a statement announcing my pregnancy. Our fans would know about the pregnancy, but our family would know the gender. Either the cake would be pink for a girl or blue for a boy.

Elizabeth or Elijah …

Middle name would be determined later, after we pick our godparents.

“Okay, we need to get ready,” Alice chirped. “The limo will be here in about ten minutes.” She picked up Aria, cradling her in her arms. “Who’s going to be a good girl while your mommy and daddy have a party?” Aria whimpered, kissing Alice’s nose. “Ugh, I don’t need doggy slobber on me.”

“She loves you,” I giggled. Alice rolled her eyes, carrying Aria to her doggy condo. Making sure she had fresh water and food, she put up the gate. Aria’s condo was in the laundry room. I was afraid that she’d freak out or whimper, but she liked her space. She curled up on her massive dog bed, chewing on a treat. We put on our costumes and took pictures. The guys came over. I whimpered when I saw Edward. His muscles were on display and he looked hot.

“Bella, you’re drooling,” Nia snickered.

“Look at my husband. Do you blame me?” I snorted, pointing to my sexy hubby.

“Good point,” Nia said. “Are you guys going to behave yourselves tonight?”

“Yes,” I laughed. “We can’t exactly sneak off and have clandestine sex. I’m too fat.”

“You’re not fat,” Edward growled, tugging me into his arms. “You’re beautiful. And I’d find a way to sneak off with you. You’re gorgeous and glowing and …”

“We get it,” Nia guffawed. “Come on. The limos are here.”

Edward slid his arms around my waist, kissing my neck. “I missed you, Mrs. Cullen. You, too, Nugget,” he purred. I melted against him, feeling something poke me in the back. I hummed, looking back at him. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Bella. It’s the hilt of the sword.”

“Damn, I was hoping you were really happy to see me,” I giggled.

“I’m extremely happy to see you, but I’m trying to control myself,” he said as we got into one of the waiting limos. We drove to the club and waited to walk out. There were paparazzi waiting for us and we figured we’d give them a few photos. As we smiled for the photos, a couple of the more ballsy photogs asked if I was pregnant. I just smiled sexily, allowing Edward to drag me inside of the club. Inside, we saw a bunch of fellow Twilight artists, a handful of actors and actresses, including Rob and his fiancée and the crew from the Midnight Sun Tour.

The club was spooky, sexy and perfect. The tunes were pumping and it was nice to see everyone just having fun. Edward got us some ‘mocktails’ and mingled among the crowd. More pictures were taken and there were more questions. I didn’t look pregnant. I felt pregnant, but didn’t really look pregnant. A couple of hours into the party, Edward and I went up to the stage. The cake we’d had made was on there, with a spotlight on it. The DJ gave us a microphone. Edward smiled and began speaking.

“First off, thank you everyone who were able to come tonight,” Edward said smoothly. “I know that a bunch of the crew went home to their families, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate your hard work. This tour was …” He smiled crookedly. “It was interesting, that’s for certain. There were moments of greatness, fantastic music and growing as a family. There were also moments that were awful … we all know what I mean about that.” He took my hand and tugged me to his side. “The crew, you’ve received a bonus from us as a band. We’re so lucky to have such a wonderful crew and honestly, we had one of the best stage managers in the business. He told us that this was his last tour. Lou? Can you join us up here?”

Lou, who was dressed like a pirate, shuffled up to the stage. I hugged him and kissed both his cheek. Emmett and Jasper hugged him as well, before disappearing and coming back with our present. Edward handed me the microphone. “So, with the help of the Twilight team, we had this made for you.” Removing the sheet, it was a huge photo with all of the bands Lou had worked with. Lou gasped, looking at the photos from the tours, from the bands currently and the inscription at the bottom. “On top of this, we had them record their biggest hits, specially written for you. It will be released and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to any place you’d like, with another portion going to you as your bonus.”

“Oh, Isabella,” he cried, hugging me tightly. “I’m so blessed. Thank you.” I kissed his cheek. He turned, hugging my husband and shaking Emmett and Jasper’s hands.

“You will be missed, Lou. I don’t know who can run a crew as efficiently as you can,” Edward chuckled. After he said that, we had a picture taken with Lou with the framed photo. He hugged us once more, scuttling down the steps. “Now, we have a few more things we want to share before you get the rest of the time to dance, get drunk and have fun. First off, we’re taking some time off. This was scheduled prior to our going on tour. Originally, that time was for us to recharge as a band and work on new material, but this time off …” He blinked to me a crooked grin spreading over his face. “This time off will be for Bella and me to welcome our newest member of our family. Amidst the drama of what happened, we were told that we were expecting a baby.”

There was a pause before an explosion of sound. I laughed, wrapping my arms around Edward’s waist. “Do you want to know what we’re having?” I shouted over the din. There was a resounding yes. Edward and I walked to the cake, taking the proffered knife from the DJ. We cut into the cake, pulling out a slice. The cake was blue. BLUE.

“A boy!” Edward cheered, handing the cake to Emmett and kissing me. “A boy …” he whispered.

“Elijah,” I breathed against his lips. “Elijah Cullen.”

“Elijah McCarty Cullen,” Edward said, tugging on Emmett’s hand. “You want to be the godfather, Em?”

“Fuck yeah!” Emmett said, beaming brightly.

“And Alice? Will you be the godmother?” I asked my best friend. She squealed, bouncing up and down happily. We took another picture before disappearing into a smaller, private room. We shared some cake with our parents before they went back to Emmett’s home. It was exciting. We told our family about the baby’s name and the godparents. By February 20th, Elijah McCarty Cullen, would be born with Emmett and Alice as his godparents. We stayed for another hour or so, but I was anxious to spend some time alone with my husband. Which we did, making love until the sun came up.

xx LMDC xx

“My tits are so fucking big,” I said as held them in my hands. “They’re spilling out of this dress.”

“What I wouldn’t give for tits,” Alice snickered, zipping up my gown. “Not that Kellan minds my bug bites.”

“Kellan looks at you like Edward looks at me,” I deadpanned. I turned around, looking at myself in the mirror. “Wow. I can’t believe you found something to make me look sexy and svelte even though I look like I swallowed a beach ball.”

“Nugget, your mama needs to trust her sister,” Alice said, patting my belly. “Now, have fun tonight. I’m certain the movie premier is going to be fun.”

“I’ve never been to a movie premier,” I said, sliding on my wedding set and a pair diamond teardrop earrings. My dress was an eggplant color, that hugged my curves before allowing room for my stomach. It was chiffon and beautiful. Alice walked over to me, holding a pair of heels. “Ali, no. My feet cannot wear heels. I’ve got some funky ballet flats. They get too swollen if I’m on my feet for too long.”

“Ugh, fine,” Alice grumbled. “I love you, Elijah, but you’re crimping your mother’s style.”

“Only you would talk to your nephew about my style,” I deadpanned. Alice just shrugged, finding the shoes I’d gotten for the premier. Once I was done, I went downstairs. Edward was dressed in a sexy Dior tuxedo. He was looking through his phone, tapping on it occasionally. He blinked up, his eyes bugging out. Alice giggled. “I think I broke my husband.”

“Internal malfunction,” Alice snickered. “I’m going to take my furniece and leave. Don’t fuck each other until AFTER the movie.” She danced out of the kitchen, scooped up Aria and left the house.

“I don’t know how I’m not going to be able to not fuck you,” Edward growled, his eyes sweeping over me. “You’re gorgeous.”

“I feel like Barney,” I said, putting my hand on my very apparent belly. Edward gave me a look. “What? I’m wearing purple. Big purple dinosaur?”

“Oh, for the love …” he grumbled. “You look beautiful.”

“What were you reading?” I asked.

“Emails from Larry and Rob. They’re talking Oscar contender for the movie,” he said. “Not just the directing or acting, but music.” He arched a brow, shocked at what he’d heard. “Best original song and best score … it’s all up in the air, but there’s a good possibility.”

“We’ll have to see,” I shrugged. “Shall we?”

He nodded, taking my hand and we went out to the waiting limo. I missed driving, but Edward was adamant that I be chauffeured around since my belly was in the way. Most of the time, he did the driving, but on this occasion, we were using a limo. The movie premier was happening at the Kodak Theater. We waited in line, nibbling on the treats in the limo. I was shifting uncomfortably. I should have peed before we left.

When we finally got to the front of the line, we smiled for the cameras. Edward and I gave a few interviews, talking about our creative process for the music and then we went inside the theater. I raced to the bathroom. After answering the call of nature, I met up with my husband, who was talking to Rob and Larry. I hugged both of them. We chatted until the doors opened. Edward and I sat in a booth, listening to the director, Rob and his costars introduced the film.

The movie was amazing and the music was interwoven in the story, making the music its own character. When the credits rolled, Breaking Midnight’s song began and the crowd cheered. Larry found us and he hugged us. “I’m so proud of both of you,” he whispered. “I never imagined the music would sound like that. Recording it was one thing, but seeing it in the movie?”

“Thank you, Larry,” Edward said.

“And congratulations on the baby,” Larry said, his voice quiet. “You both will make wonderful parents.” He kissed my cheek and left before we could say anything else. After the movie, we went to the after party. It was not our scene since I couldn’t drink and I was craving more than frou-frou appetizers. Though, while we were at the party, several other directors approached us about musical scores for their movies. We gave them Kellan’s name and said we’d contact them.

Edward’s fingers grazed along my arms and he looked at me hungrily. I was ready to go home. From Edward’s almost desperate look, he was in the same boat. We said our goodbyes to Rob and his fiancée. Larry was missing in action, but Edward sent his congratulations before we got into our limo. The air sizzled all around us. Edward was holding my hand and staring into my eyes. “Too long, my love,” he whispered.

“We had sex this morning,” I teased.

He gave me a look. “You know what I mean, Bella. You are so beautiful and seeing you in this dress was just one big huge tease. I want to lick every inch of your body. Starting with your tits.”

“You like them, don’t you?” I snickered. He waggled his brows, his hand sliding around my shoulders and his lips barely grazing mine. “Love you, baby.”

“I adore you, _cantante_ ,” he whispered. The car stopped and we got out. The movie production company paid for the limo, but Edward gave the driver a tip. We walked into the house and Edward caged me with his hands. “I need you. Upstairs. Naked.”

“Is that an order, sir?” I purred.

He smirked, nodding before his lips crushed mine. I threaded my fingers into his hair. Whimpering when he stepped back, he helped me up the stairs and unzipped my dress. “I’ll be back. We need a snack. Those mushroom puffs were not that appetizing.”

“Or filling,” I laughed. “Cheetos! With mayo!”

“Ugh, Bella,” he moaned. “That’s gross.” He shook his head, leaving me I took my time washing my face and changing into my birthday suit. I sat on the bed and Edward came back with a couple of sandwiches, my Cheetos and some juice. I arched a brow and he stripped down, just as naked as me. “I was getting there, woman.”

“Sorry, I’m all hanging out and you’re still dressed in your tux? It can give a girl a complex,” I giggled, taking a bite of my snack. “Ooooh, egg salad. Perfect. Eggs with mayo.”

“You and your weird cravings,” Edward snickered. I happily munched on my sandwich and eating most of the Cheetos. Edward took the tray down, pointing to the bathroom. I looked at my hands, seeing they were covered in orange crap from the cheesy goodness. I washed my hands and when I walked back into the bedroom, every candle in our room had been lit and there was some romantic music playing.

_Oh, he’s smooth._

I felt him behind me, his hands gliding up my arms. His lips found the hollow behind my ear and he caressed my skin. I whimpered, leaning against him. Tenderly, he picked me up and carried me to the bed. “I want to spend the whole night worshiping you,” he whispered. His lips brushed over mine. I sighed, my fingers tangling into his hair. His lips moved from mine, gliding down my neck until he swirled his tongue over my nipples. I gasped, arching my back. He lavished my breasts with his fingers, mouth, tongue and teeth.

I actually had an orgasm as he sucked on my tit.

It was fucking hot.

I reached for his hardness, but Edward shook his head and he continued his way down my body. He doted on my baby belly. He cooed at our son, which earned him a swift kick to the cheek. He chuckled and looked up at me with such love. Then, he spread my legs, devouring my sex. Within seconds, I was squirming and screaming like a banshee. His tongue did things that made me writhe pleasure. I had barely calmed down when he rolled me to my side and slid inside me. “Edward,” I shrieked.

“Just feel, Bella,” he whispered. He held my leg and moved deeply inside me. And I felt every inch of him. His lips were on mine, his hand cupped my breast and his cock slid in my body. With each stroke, I felt my body clench, yearn for release. When he whispered his undying love for me, for our child, for our family, I let loose a sob and my body lost control. My orgasm zipped through me like wildfire, making me feel alive.

After my orgasm, I was boneless. I was panting and Edward slid out of me. _No, come back. Baby!_ He came back, gently wiped me down and helped me between the sheets. Climbing in behind me, he held me close. “I love you, Edward.”

“I love you more, Bella,” he whispered, kissing me tenderly.

xx LMDC xx

Christmas was celebrated at our house in Calabasas. Dr. Castillo didn’t want me to fly. She was concerned about my blood pressure. So, everyone came to our home. In addition to celebrating Christmas, we also celebrated the Golden Globe nomination we’d received for the Best Original Song and Best Score for _High Life._

Emmett had sold his house and was living in a townhouse near Jasper. We never heard from Rose again after Emmett sent her the shit she asked for when she invaded our homecoming. As far as I knew, she was back in New York, living the single life. Emmett and Ainsley were starting to date, but were taking it very slowly. Alice and Kellan were still in Alice’s townhouse, but were actively looking for a new place. Jasper and Nia were living in the same place, but according to Edward, Jasper was looking for engagement rings.

The night of the Golden Globes, we performed the song on the stage. I was almost eight months pregnant and miserable. The song and the score won the award, as did Rob and the director. The movie, however, didn’t win the best picture award, but it was up against some pretty steep competition.

A couple of weeks later, we found out that we were up for an Academy Award. We were invited to perform, but we had to decline. I was going to be due at any second. Kellan and Alice would be going in our place, accepting the award, if we won.

The morning of the Academy Awards, I woke up with a back ache. Elijah was past his due date and if I didn’t show signs of labor by this weekend, we were going in to be induced. I was ready to have our baby. The nursery was ready, decorated in a music theme. _Appropriate for a music baby, hmmmm?_ It was grey, teal and black, with a wall of reclaimed wood. It was a beautiful room and Elijah was a lucky, lucky little boy.

Esme and Carlisle moved out to California, purchasing a smaller home in our neighborhood. They still had their home in New York, but with us having a baby, they wanted to be close by. Senior sold his home in New York, purchasing a condo in Los Angeles. Charlie was still up in Forks, but said he’d be down once the baby was born. My mother was arrested and she knew about the baby, asking for money for bail.

“You still nesting, Mommy?” Edward asked. He was just as sexy as I could remember, but he had a slight beard. I missed his jaw, but he was being lazy.

“I just want to meet him,” I shrugged. “You’re getting overcooked, Nugget.”

“Talk about an adjustment,” he snickered. “We’re going to have to call Nugget by his given name, Elijah, once he’s born.”

“He’ll always be Nugget,” I said, adjusting the ‘h’ in his name that hung over his crib. I grimaced.

“You okay?” he asked, guiding me to the slider.

“My back is bothering me. It started yesterday. I’m just uneven,” I shrugged, shifting uncomfortably.

“I read about this. You could be in back labor,” Edward murmured, crouching in front of me. I wrinkled my nose, shaking my head, but body told me otherwise. “Bella?”

“Okay, that was a contraction,” I whimpered. He shot up, checking his phone. “What are you doing?”

“Timing,” he said, kissing my forehead. “Your bag by the door?” I nodded as I moaned again. “Okay, we need to go.” I grabbed his hand and we made our way down the stairs. He helped me into the front seat, turning the SUV over. He backed out, calling Emmett. “Bro, we’re heading to the hospital.”

“How in the hell are you so calm?” he asked.

“I read everything I could about labor and delivery. Dad gave me his text book from when he was in med school,” Edward quipped, taking my hand. I took it, squeezing it hard when another contraction ripped through me.

“Isabelly? You okay?”

“Peachy, Brother Bear,” I grunted. “Call Dad. Phil, too!”

“Got it,” Emmett said. “We’ll be there soon. Love you both.”

Pulling up to the hospital, Edward helped me into a wheelchair. He calmly explained why we were there and I screamed as another contraction barreled through me. With that, I was rolled up to labor and delivery while Edward parked the car and finished registering us in. When he was done, I was dressed in a hospital gown and strapped up to some sort of contraption to monitor my contractions. One of the nurses came in with a midwife to check my progress. I was four centimeters dilated. They asked if I wanted an epidural and I said yes.

An hour later, I was drugged up, having contractions but not feeling them.

It was fucking magical.

Kellan and Alice texted from the red carpet from the Oscars. I told Edward to put them on. If I can’t be there, I want to watch them. Carlisle and Esme arrived shortly after that and Esme just fawned over me. As she was feeding me ice chips, Dr. Castillo came in. “How are we feeling?” she chirped.

“I love the epidural man,” I snickered. “No pain.”

Dr. Castillo smiled, checking my progress. She looked at the contraction monitor thing and nodded. “You’re about eight centimeters and you should be starting to progress to active labor.” The monitor began beeping and I felt dizzy. I could barely hold it in as I threw up. Esme held my hair back and I moaned. “Or it could happen now.” She began barking out orders. I was moved forward and my legs were spread, but not in a way that I liked. Edward was gentle when he made love to me. This was clinical. “Holy crap, you’ve gone from eight centimeters to … you’re crowning.”

I began pushing, grunting and screaming. “Edward, so help me, this is the only kid you’re getting,” I moaned. “I hate you and your super sperm.” I blinked up at him. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Edward said, rubbing my back. “I couldn’t do this.”

“Oh, fuck!” I spat. “Why isn’t the epidural working?”

“It is working,” Dr. Castillo said, arching a brow. I blinked. “Push, Bella.” I gripped Edward’s hand and pushed. I pushed for what felt like hours, but she told me to stop. I heard some slurping and then she barked at me to bear down again. I felt pressure and then relief. “It’s a boy!”

“He’s here?” I asked, sitting back. Edward was crying, smiling widely and nodding. “Check him out. Is he okay? Why isn’t he crying?” A quiet mewl filled the room, followed by wails. “Never mind.”

“Come cut the umbilical cord, Edward,” Dr. Castillo said. He bit his lip and took the proffered scissors. He cut the cord and Elijah was placed in my arms. He was covered in goop, slightly gray and screaming his head off. But, he was here. I had a son. Edward and I had a son.

“Carlisle, come see your grandson,” Esme hissed.

He didn’t respond. He just turned up the television. Kellan and Alice were on the screen. “Holy shit! We won an Academy Award,” Edward squeaked. “I have a son and an Oscar.”

“We could change his name,” I deadpanned. A nurse picked up Elijah. He was cleaned up and Dr. Castillo finished with me. Edward gave me a look, but softened when he was handed our baby boy. He was trembling, looking down at him. “You’re a natural, Daddy.”

“I’m a daddy,” he whispered. “Hello, Elijah. I’m so happy you’re here. I love you and Mommy so much.” He tenderly kissed his forehead, sitting down next to me. “I’m … I don’t know what to say …”

“Me, neither, but we’ll learn,” I said, leaning my cheek against his shoulder. Edward pulled out his cell phone, angling Elijah and snapping a selfie.

 _Elijah McCarty Cullen, born March 4 th, 2018. Seven pounds, eight ounces and twenty-one inches. Mom, Dad and Eli are doing great. We’re living the _High Life. _A new baby and an Oscar in one day? Sweet! Much love to everyone … The Cullens_

**A/N: So, originally, I’d planned Eli’s birth to happen in the epilogue, but he was worthy of coming before the end of the story. Anyhow, we have the epilogue to wrap things up. I can tell you there will be NO further stories with this Edward and Bella. The epilogue will be a future take. You’ll find out more about these two love birds.**

**Pictures of the Halloween party and Elijah’s nursery are on my blog. You can find the link for that on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79. Leave me some!**

 

 

 


	30. Epilogue

**So, I started my journey into Fanfiction with my first story, _La Cantante._ I had never been driven to write until I read _Twilight_ and saw the movies (and the beauty of Robert Pattinson ~ dayum, he’s one yummy guy.) Writing that first story got me through the end of my marriage and the beginning of my new life as a single woman. Now, it’s almost four years since I completed that story. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I did promise you a sequel. Here it is!**

**The epilogue will be a future take. You’ll find out more about these two love birds.**

**Before I start wrapping up _La Musica del Cuore_ , I want to say thanks. First off, those of you who have been with me since I first started my fanfiction journey and followed me to this one, thank you. I’m truly appreciative of your support. Writing FF helped me through a hard time in my life – getting divorced, moving out, my mother’s illness and subsequent death, and a new job. Thank you for being there with me, every step of the way. Secondly, to the folks in my Facebook group: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation, your kind words, never-ending cheerleading and friendship mean more to me than words can describe. I love you all!**

**Now, enough of me being sappy … onto the epilogue …**

**Chapter Thirty: La Musica del Cuore: Epilogue**

**EPOV**

**Five years later …**

“Elijah McCarty Cullen, you get your butt down here,” I snarled, chuckling as I listened to the present my son left for me on my computer. I heard the pummeling steps of my five-year-old son as he ran to the basement of our home. He giggled, looking up at me with his jade-green eyes and crooked smile. “I go to listen to what I worked on last night with Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jas and this is what I hear.” I pressed a button and some simple drum beats fill the room, along with a basic bass line. It was simple, but for a five-year-old to create it? On his own. Color me impressed, but still irked that he was fussing with the equipment in our recording studio.

 _Eli loves Mommy!_  
Eli loves Daddy!  
Eli loves Aria!  
Eli DOESN’T Love Kellee OR Jasen … they smell. 

“It’s my new song, Daddy. I loves you,” he said, crawling into my lap. “I loves Mommy.”

“But, you don’t love your new baby brother or sister?” I snickered. He wrinkled his nose, shaking his head. Elijah was Bella made over, in male form, even down to her snark and perfect pitch. However, he had my coloring, but with darker brown hair. “Elijah, regardless, Mommy and Daddy love you very much. That will never change.”

“But, everyone is going _blah_ over Kellee and Jasen,” Elijah said, rolling his eyes. He snuggled against me, toying with the tattoo I had on my arm, an almost full sleeve, representing my family and our binding connection of music, love and family. “They’re babies. All they do is sleep, eat from mommy’s boob and poop.”

“I hate to break it to you, Nugget, you did the same thing when you were a baby,” I laughed, kissing his forehead.

“Nuh uh,” he argued, looking at me and arching a brow. “Don’t call me Nugget.”

“Uh huh and you’ll always be my Nugget,” I teased back, tickling his sides. He laughed, squirming on my knee. “Kellee and Jasen need extra care because they came early, unlike you. You were overcooked.”

“Mommy wanted to make sure that I was baked all the way through,” Elijah said, holding his arms wide. But, he sighed. “I do think they’re cute. When they’re not crying …”

“I agree with you there,” I said. Kellee and Jasen were colicky babies and persnickety about who would feed them. Only Bella could do it. They preferred the breast, but with twins, we had to supplement with formula. I tried to feed them, but they usually screamed. So, I focused my attention on Elijah and did what I could with the twins, which was baths and diaper changes. We were both _exhausted_ , but were making it work with the help of our family and soon, a nanny. “Now, where did my latest track go, computer genius. I need that for Mommy and Uncle Kellan.”

Elijah closed out his recording and pulled up the latest song that we’d recorded for our fourth studio album, _Speranze e Sogni,_ or Hopes and Dreams. We had almost finished it when Bella went into preterm labor in early October with our twins, Kellee and Jasen. We just needed two more songs, which I was working on with the guys, recording when my family was sleeping.

Thank goodness, our studio in the basement was sound-proof.

Kellee was named after her godfather, Kellan. Nia acted as her godmother, giving Kellee her middle name of Lynne. Jasen was named for his godfather, Jasper and Ainsley, Emmett’s fiancée, was named as the godmother. His middle name was Whitt, honoring both of his god parents. Ainsley’s middle name was Whitney and Jasper’s last name was Whitlock, so it worked. They were a little over three months old now and just now sleeping through the night.

In addition to getting ready to put out our fourth studio album, we were preparing for a world tour to promote _Speranze e Sogni_ and our latest foray into movie score composing. Bella was hesitant about going on a world tour, but when Adele said we’d be able to bring our children, we were sold. The tour would begin in February in London, concluding in late August in Los Angeles so Eli could start going to kindergarten at some private, exclusive school.

We’d done a smaller North American tour when Elijah was two-years old. He was with my parents while we were on the road, but every two weeks we’d go back to New York to spend time with our son, a necessity for Bella. We hit a number of large cities and the cities we’d missed when we did our last tour with the nightmare of James stalking us. It was a promotional tour for our third studio album, _Sempre_.

“Daddy, can I be a rock star like you?” Elijah asked.

“You can be anything you want to be, Eli,” I smiled, kissing his temple. “What do you think?” I played the title track of the album, “Speranze e Sogni.” He beamed when he heard his mother singing, in a clear, ringing soprano. “You hear Mommy?”

“Yeah,” he grinned. “Is she going to sing on the last two songs?”

“Nope. I’m singing those last two songs,” I answered. It was a necessity since we needed to finalize the damned album. We had to change the keys so the songs were more comfortable in my range. “You want to hear those?” Elijah nodded. I stopped the recording and turned on the first song, “Darkness and the Light.”

“Daddy! You sound so good,” he sang, throwing his arms around my neck. “You need to sing more, Daddy.”

I smiled at him. His wish was going to come true. Out of the thirteen songs for the fourth album, I was singing seven of them. We were also going to put out another album of different arrangements of popular alternative songs just before the holiday season, called _Breaking Midnight: The Mixtapes_. Half of that album was already recorded and we were working on finalizing the rest of the options during Kellee and Jasen’s naptime.

“Green-Eyed Freak,” Alice chirped. I rolled my eyes as my sister glided down the steps. “Hey, Nugget.”

“Hi, Aunt Ali,” Elijah smiled. He leaned against me and his eyes drooped. I kissed his forehead.

“What’s up, Pix?” I asked. “You look stressed. Your hubby treating your right?”

“Kellan is treating me fine,” she giggled. “But, I’m stressed. We’re trying to finalize the dates for the world tour and we’re struggling in trying to get dates that fit within our time constraints. Kellan is trying to negotiate, but it’s not going well.” She brushed Elijah’s messy hair back. I looked down and I saw that he was sleeping. “He’s so beautiful, Edward. All of your children are.”

“You sure about not having your own?” I quipped.

“That’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about,” she said. “Kellan knows and he’s telling Bella, but I’m pregnant. About two months.”

“Alice,” I breathed. “Are you okay with this? I know you were …”

“I’m very happy,” Alice sniffled. “I’m terrified, though. I met with Dr. Castillo and my shrink said that I need to stop taking my medications for the bipolar disorder. I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep it together, Edward. You saw what happened the last time …”

“The last time you were out of control. You’re older, in love with a man who would give his left kidney to you,” I said. “You have a family to support you. We’ll be there for you, Alice. For you and Kellan. You’re going to be wonderful parents.”

“I hope so,” she whispered.

Kellan and Alice got engaged the same night that Elijah was born. He’d planned on asking her that night, regardless of what had happened. When they’d sent a text showing us the gorgeous engagement ring, they sent their congratulations for our newborn son. The next day, they came to the hospital with our _two_ Academy Awards and showing us their bling. Alice asked Bella to be her matron of honor, along with Nia as a bridesmaid. But, there was a sadness to not include Rosalie in the wedding preparations. Alice invited Rosalie, extending an olive branch, but the invite was returned, no forwarding address. However, the wedding was beautiful and a wonderful occasion. I never saw my sister so happy when she walked down the aisle to Kellan.

But, the soft smile on her face and her hand on her belly, it was a close second.

“Anyway, hubby wanted to know how the album was coming. Did you get the last two songs recorded?” Alice asked.

“Take him,” I said, picking up Elijah from my lap and putting him on the couch next to my sister. She balanced his head on her lap, brushing her fingers through his hair. I shared the two songs with Kellan, Adele, Jasper and Emmett with a brief note. “I just sent what we recorded last night to Kellan.”

“Good,” Alice snickered. “He was getting anxious. The album is due out in less than a month. We have to finalize the cover art, begin a press tour, social media blitz …”

“Alice, relax,” I said, scooping Elijah off her lap. “We’ll get it done.” Carrying up my son to his room, I tucked him into his big boy bed before checking on Bella and the twins. Kellan was holding his namesake, cooing at her adorably while Bella was nursing Jasen. “Congratulations, Kel.”

“Thanks,” he said, nuzzling Kellee’s cheeks. “Did you get your shit done? How’s the album? You done?”

“Language, Kellan,” Bella chided. “Elijah’s first word was shit. I don’t want a repeat for these two.”

“His first word was not shit,” Alice laughed.

“Yes, it was,” I offered. “We lied when we said that it was ‘Mama.’ I don’t think the parentals would appreciate the humor of our son’s first word was a cuss word.”

“I think I have the moment on my cell phone,” Bella said, burping Jasen and covering up her boobs.

“We believe you,” Alice said, sliding her arms around Kellan’s waist. He balanced his goddaughter and kissed Alice’s forehead as he held his wife close. He whispered against her temple and Alice smiled, nodding.

“Will you be able to travel with us, Alice?” Bella asked, getting up and putting a slumbering Jasen into the pack and play. “I can’t imagine you not coming with us.”

“It’s all dependent on how I’m doing mentally and physically. I may be able to do so at the beginning of the tour, but toward the end? You guys are leaving in less than a month, if you can get the album finished,” Alice said. “I feel fine now, but I’ve been off my meds for a day.”

“Don’t stress out about the album. I sent you the final two songs,” I said. “I also included Adele on the email.”

Kellan pulled out his phone and pressed play. Elijah’s song came through the tinny speakers of his phone. “I love you kid, but I don’t think this is a number one hit,” he quipped.

“Oh my God,” Bella snickered. “Did he lay down that track?”

“I can’t believe I sent you that to you,” I grumbled.

“I got the other two, too,” Kellan laughed. “I’ll listen to them when I get home. Once we’re done with that, we can meet at the LA office of Twilight Records to finalize your choices, take photos for the cover art …”

“Ugh, I’m still not down to my pre-baby weight,” Bella said, wrinkling her nose. I blinked over to my wife and arched a brow. She was softer around the edges thanks to her two pregnancies, but sexy as fuck. Plus, her tits were huge and had stayed big even after breast feeding Elijah.

“Bella, you’re beautiful,” Kellan said. “I know you’re trying to keep your head above water with the twins and a very hyper, but sweet little boy. We’re here to help you, sweetie.”

“I know. I’m just …” she said, waving her hand in front of her face. “With the twins coming so early and that month in the NICU? They’re fine. Perfectly healthy, although small, but I’m freaking out. It’s too much. A new album, two new babies, a world tour? And the prospect of hiring a nanny? I want to raise my own children!”

“When was the last time you went out with your husband?” Alice asked. “No kids? No responsibilities?”

“The night before I went into labor with the twins,” Bella answered. Alice arched a brow and picked up her phone. She tapped out a few things and grabbed Bella’s hand. “Where are you taking me?”

“You and Edward, you both need a date,” Alice replied. Her phone chirped. “Excellent. Mom and Dad are coming, along with Senior and Kathryn. You need some mommy/daddy time. And you’re not saying no.” My wife gave me a panicked look as Alice tugged her upstairs. Despite my wife’s anxious expression, I think this was exactly what the doctor ordered.

xx LMDC xx

**Eight months later …**

“What time zone are we in?” Bella asked as we woke up in our bedroom. “Oh, we’re home. I feel like I got ran over by a truck.”

“I feel you,” I said, kissing my wife’s forehead. I could hear the twins cooing with their nanny, a young woman named Nessie. “I love touring. I love our fans, but nothing feels better than coming home.”

“We came home just in time to send our son to kindergarten,” Bella said, sitting up and rolling her head. “I’m not ready for that, Edward. I feel like it was just yesterday that Elijah was a baby. I carried him in my belly. Now? He’s going to school. He’s going to be wearing this adorable little uniform and spending half of his day at school. What are we going to do?”

“We have Kellee and Jasen,” I said. “We have Emmett and Ainsley’s wedding to look forward to, not to mention Alice and Kellan’s belated baby shower.”

Bella nodded, her fingers gliding over my belly. “A push party … Alice has already sent over ideas. Her baby girl is so spoiled already. Now, when is Jasper going to make Nia an honest woman?” Bella asked, her voice wistful. “They’ve been together forever!”

“Who’s to say they aren’t already married?” I quipped. She sat up, arching a brow. “Nia and Jasper didn’t want a big wedding, or a _traditional_ wedding in the first place. They exchanged vows while we were in England, at Stonehenge with some priestess or something. They’d been engaged for a while, but didn’t want to rush into anything.”

“You knew about this?” Bella asked.

“I did, but that’s because I helped him make the arrangements. He wanted to exchange his vows at dawn on the summer solstice,” I explained. “They were planning on announcing it soon, but after they had their honeymoon.”

“So, that’s why Nia and Jasper didn’t come home with us,” Bella murmured. “Where did they go?”

“Some private island in the Pacific Ocean,” I snickered. “They’ll be home in two weeks.”

“Well, that’s great news,” Bella yawned, standing up and padding to the bathroom. While we were on tour, Bella lost those final ten baby pounds. She was as lithe and sexy as she was prior to the birth of our twins. I loved her and I showed her as often as she’d let me, which was pretty much any time I kissed her. We were just as insatiable for each other. It’s been almost ten years and the love I had for my wife hadn’t diminished or dwindled in the slightest. She was my best friend, my lover, my wife and mother to our children. She was everything I ever dreamed of and there were days when I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. “Edward, are you coming to join me or not? It’s been far too long and I want to conserve water,” Bella purred seductively.

You don’t have to ask me twice.

After our shared shower, we left the twins with Nessie and took Elijah out to go shopping for his school supplies for kindergarten. _Our baby is in kindergarten._ We took him to a local store, picking up his uniform and then to an office supply store. We finished there and went to a carnival that had been set up in the parking lot of one of the high schools. We were recognized, but for the most part left to our own devices as Elijah played and laughed, enjoying his last weekend before school started on Wednesday. We also made plans to see our new niece, Brienne, on Sunday.

Little did we know it, but, Alice had pretty much saved our marriage when she pushed Bella and I out that night eight months ago. We went to a romantic dinner, drinking wine and talking to each other about adult things, not stressing about diaper changes, who was taking care of the babies and chapped nipples. Bella still had to contend with chapped nipples, but we got to be _us_ again.

We even checked into a hotel, after okaying it with the grandparents. We reconnected on a more intimate level. Bella wasn’t ready to make love, since she needed to see her gynecologist for a new form of birth control, but we fooled around. Shortly before we left for the world tour, after a whirlwind media blitz, Bella had an IUD implanted. We wanted more children, but we had time. We were both pretty young. I was thirty-one and Bella will turn thirty in a couple of weeks.

Anyway, while we were out that night, we discovered that we had lost each other while caring for our twins. We adored our children. Elijah, Kellee and Jasen were our lives, but our marriage was just as important. Plus, we needed to be able to perform without stressing out about the twins. So, we hired Nessie. She was fantastic with all of our children, but the twins adored her. It also strengthened our relationship with Elijah, who had felt a little bereft with the birth of the twins, as exemplified by the song he’d recorded. So, we’d have days where it was just the three of us, loving up on Elijah. And when the twins were old enough to realize it, we’d do the same with them, too.

Our fame and fortune meant nothing without the love of our family. They were number one in my book and something that Twilight was comfortable with since they’d paid Nessie’s salary while we were on our world tour, along with all her travel expenses.

Upon our return from our day of fun with our son, we gave Nessie the rest of the night off and had a family night in. The next day, we went over to Kellan and Alice’s home. They’d found a beautiful house a few blocks over from where we lived. Bella held a gift bag with a beautiful dress we’d found in Paris for Brienne. Elijah found some other toy while we were out and he was determined to give it to his new cousin. Brienne was two months old. As Elijah said, all babies do at that age was eat, sleep and poop. But, it was sweet.

Kellan opened the door. He was a little rough around the edges, but smiling widely. “Welcome, Cullen’s,” he said, opening the door. “How was the rest of the tour?”

“Fantastic, but we’re happy to be home,” I said, balancing the two car seats that held our twins. “How’s parenthood?”

“I don’t know who’s crying more. Brienne or Alice,” Kellan snorted. “Ali was upset that the doctors wanted her back on her meds, pretty much stopping her from breast feeding. But, she’s doing fine, for the most part. They need to regulate her mood swings, but with all of the hormones …”

“I get it,” I snickered. “I lived with Alice for how many years?”

We walked into the family room and saw Elijah gently rocking his cousin. Alice was talking to him, telling him about the baby and he was listening with rapt attention. “It would appear that Elijah doesn’t mind babies, just so long they don’t live in his house,” Bella quipped. “I’ve never seen him so still, except when he sleeps.”

“Even then, he’s like a tornado,” I said. “Have you seen his bed in the morning?”

“True,” Bella giggled. She walked over to Alice and Elijah. My sister hugged my wife and picked up Brienne, putting her into Bella’s arms. Brienne whimpered a little bit but settled back into a quiet sleep.

“Come help me with the food, Edward,” Kellan said. I followed him into the kitchen after I put the twins on the floor. They looked enormous compared to Brienne. Kellan put some steaks on the grill, and a hamburger for Elijah. “Look, I know that you guys are getting settled back into home life. Are you having a wrap party?”

“Not this time. Most of the crew were from Europe and it wouldn’t be feasible,” I answered, sipping some beer. “Why?”

“Brienne is going to get christened. Alice is not very religious, but my parents are. As am I,” Kellan said. “I may not seem that way. I believe in God. I’m a Christian and I want my child to be raised in the church. Anyway, I’d like you to be Brienne’s godfather. You’re my best friend and brother by marriage. I see how much you love your own children.”

“Kellan, I’d be honored,” I smiled, hugging him. “When is the christening?”

“It’s happening just before the push party,” Kellan snorted. “I hate using that term. I swear. We’re having it at St. Bernadine’s. And Brienne will have two middle names … Isabella Antonia, for both you and your wife.”

“Bella’s the godmother?” I asked. Kellan nodded. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” he said.

“How are you really?”

“The last two months of her pregnancy were a challenge. I’m not going to lie. I almost wished I was on tour with you, but my wife needed me at home. Her emotions were all over the place. It’s the main reason why they put her back on her meds as soon as she was out of the hospital. It’s also why I got snipped, too,” Kellan said. “Alice got really down one day and she said that she wanted to die. I can’t lose her, Edward. If we want more children, we’ll fucking adopt. I’m grateful for Brienne. She’s the light of my life, but I don’t want to have another one at the risk of losing my wife.”

“Does Alice know about your vasectomy?” I asked.

“Yeah. She was pissed, but after talking with Esme and ironically, your biological father, who lost his wife, she understood,” Kellan explained. “Anyway, we’re enjoying our daughter and so happy that you’re back. I missed you guys. I know Alice missed Bella, especially with the birth. Esme never had children, naturally. You know? And my mom? She can be overbearing.”

“Your mom freaks me out,” I snorted.

“I think that’s why my sister had some voodoo wedding at Stonehenge,” Kellan laughed. “She was fucking smart. Going back in time, I wished I had a small wedding. Instead, it was three-ring circus.”

“But, in the end, you got to marry my sister and she was thrilled,” I said. “Everyone was looking at her as she walked down the aisle. I watched you and you never looked happier, Kellan. You’re her lobster.”

He grinned goofily. “Yeah. I am.”

xx LMDC xx

**BPOV**

“Emmett, stop squirming,” I said as I put on his red rose boutonniere. “I’m going to poke the hell out of my finger.”

“I’m just nervous,” he whispered. It was New Year’s Eve and it was his wedding to Ainsley. “What if I fuck things up like I did with Rosalie?”

“Brother Bear, you’ve been sober for over five years. You and Ainsley have been taking things at a snail’s pace, but it’s worked for you. She was burned by a man who cheated. You were a cheater. You had to build that trust between you,” I said, running my hands along his lapels. “Now that you have it? You and Ainsley are stronger than ever and you got to now Ainsley as a woman, a friend and as a lover. You learned your lesson, too. Though, have you heard from her?”

“Who?”

“Rosalie,” I muttered, wrinkling my nose. There was no love lost between me and my ex-sister-in-law.  

“When I was in New York with Jas, looking for a wedding ring for Nia. It was that week we were recording a few songs for the _Mixtape_ album, just prior to our leaving for the world tour. I damn near ran her over,” Emmett said. “Spilled coffee over some expensive suit she was wearing. She bitched me out something awful, not looking up. When she did, she was shocked to see me. Well, I couldn’t tell since she’d been botoxed, filled and turned into a plastic stand-in for Rosalie. I bought her a new cup of coffee and told her about my engagement. She seemed disinterested, waving some gaudy, ostentatious ring on her finger. But, she wasn’t married. She was seeing someone and this was his promise that he was going to leave his wife.”

“Wow,” I laughed. “She’s a mistress.”

“Of her boss,” Emmett said. “Apparently, I got the better end of the deal. The last I heard, the company went belly-up and the boss, along with Rosalie, were implicated in some embezzlement scheme. It’s not good, but … I don’t want to focus on that. I’m getting married today. Ainsley and I are starting our lives together.”

“I’m happy for you, Em,” I said, kissing his cheek. “You and Ainsley deserve happiness.”

Jasper poked his head inside. “We’re reading for you, Emmett,” he said. “Bells, you need to go to your spot with the bridesmaids.”

I hugged my brother and darted into the bridal room. Nia handed me the bouquet of red flowers. Our bridesmaid dresses were sexy black sheaths. Ainsley’s dress was a bright white lacy dress with a black sash around her waist. We took pictures before we went to the rear of the church. The organ began playing and we walked down the aisle. Elijah was the ring bearer and Ainsley’s niece, Sarah, was the flower girl. Sue and Esme watched the twins and Brienne during the service and Nessie would be taking the babies back to our house while we partied at Emmett and Ainsley’s wedding.

I took my spot next to Ainsley. I was the matron of honor and Edward was the best man. The ceremony was beautiful and the love between Emmett and Ainsley was palpable. Edward looked at me the whole time, his eyes brimming with tears. It made me remember my wedding and my promise of forever to my husband.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Mr. Swan, you may kiss your wife,” the priest announced. Emmett whooped and took Ainsley’s face in his hands, pressing his lips softly to hers. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m happy to present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Emmett and Ainsley Swan!”

The organ began playing the wedding march and they walked down the aisle. Edward looped my arm through his, kissing me tenderly. “It makes me remember our wedding, _cantante_ ,” he smiled. “That was the happiest day of my life, Bella.”

“Hmmm, me, too,” I breathed, leaning my cheek against his tuxedoed shoulder. We smiled for the pictures and went to the five-star hotel where the reception was being held. It was an elegant affair and I saw true joy in my brother’s face.

A midnight, we celebrated the new year, kissing each other and wrapping up the reception. Edward dragged me up to the suite he’d reserved for us. We made love all night and went home, walking funny and grinning like goofballs. It’s amazing what a night of fucking each other stupid can do to a person’s psyche.

xx LMDC xx

**Ten years later …**

I was sitting in my living room in New York, in the dark. I kept checking my cell phone and got angrier and angrier each time a moment snuck past. The door jangled and I saw a tall form sneak in. I recognized his silhouette easily. He slipped off his shoes and tiptoed past the living room. “You’re grounded for the rest of your god damned life, Elijah McCarty Cullen,” I sneered.

“Shit!” he spat as I turned on the light. My son was as tall as Edward, with his disheveled hair, green eyes and muscular body, but he was all me in his behavior and attitude. “Mom …”

“Don’t Mom me,” I sneered. “I told you that you couldn’t go out tonight. Your father and I had to go to the studio, working on our latest album. You were supposed to watch your brother and sister. Imagine my surprise when I called the house and Jasen said that you went out. To some gig?”

“You and Dad always go out,” he argued, throwing his arms up. “I was playing with my band. We had a show at the Chapel.”

“On the campus? Emerson University?” I growled. “You’re only sixteen, Eli! Your father and I trusted you. I get the pull to be on stage, but you have responsibilities in this family. This meeting was a last-minute thing and we needed you to take care of the twins. They’re not old enough to be home alone.”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” he said. “What happened?”

“Kellee burned her hand trying to make dinner for the two of them. Your father is at the hospital with her while I stayed back to confront you,” I snapped.

“I would have preferred Dad,” Elijah grumbled.

“Well, if Dad was here, he would have punched you out and asked questions later,” I said, narrowing my eyes at my oldest son. “He’s pissed off. So pissed off that he’s talking about sending you to military school. Be grateful you’re dealing with me. I’m just grounding you until you are old and gray. I love you, Elijah, but we don’t trust you.” Elijah blinked down and I saw tears well in his dull eyes. “Now, go upstairs, and shower. You smell like a brewery. Were you drinking?”

“No. Someone spilled their beer on me,” he answered. I arched a brow. “I swear, Ma! Uncle Emmett told me about his troubles with alcohol. I don’t want to be like that.” I nodded and pointed up the stairs. Elijah trudged up the stairs and I sent my husband a text.

_He’s home. Performed at the Chapel. Bring back memories? ~ B_

_I’m still going to kick his ass. Kellee’s hand is really fucked. It’s second degree burns and ugly as fuck ~ E_

_Don’t tell her that. Be her hero, baby. How’s Jasen? ~ B_

_Upset that he couldn’t help his sister, but he’ll be fine. He’s charming the nurses. That boy … ~ E_

_We’ll be home in an hour. Love you, beautiful ~ E_

_Love you more, baby ~ B_

I slipped my phone into my pocket and walked to the office. I sent a brief email to Adele, explaining why we needed to book out of the recording session. She replied almost immediately saying she understood. Her husband a text saying that both of her sons were at the same gig that Elijah was performing at in the Chapel. That made a little more sense since Ralph and Walter were going to be going to Emerson the following year, but they were still in high school. Seniors, but still in high school

_Sigh …_

I checked on Elijah, taking away his cell phone, computer, tablet and gaming system. He didn’t fight me. The guilt he felt was another essence in the room. “Your sister is going to be fine. She’s probably going to enroll you into indentured servitude for being an ass, but you’ll do everything she asks.”

“Gladly. I’m really sorry, Mom. I know I should have stayed home and I feel awful,” he said, his voice cracking. “I just see you and Dad and I want that rush from being on stage. Yes, playing in the band, singing in the choir and all that jazz is fun, but it’s not the same as hearing a crowd chant your name.”

“I get it, Eli,” I said, tucking him in and kissing his forehead. “Why do you think your father and I still tour? It’s not because we love to travel. We could do that without the hassle of touring. We do it because performing …” I smiled and chuckled. “Performing gives us a high. A legal one. Without drugs or alcohol.”

“Not that you drink much anyway, Ma,” Elijah snickered. “I’m really sorry.”

“I know you are, but you’re still grounded,” I said, getting up and closing his light to his bedroom.

Elijah was just as musically talented as both Edward and me. Probably even more so. He could play guitar, piano, drums, bass, trumpet and a slew of other instruments. He had perfect pitch, like me and was his choral directors best friend, leading rehearsals and being an amazing section leader for the concert choir at Edward’s alma mater.

Shortly after Emmett got married, my father’s lung cancer had returned and he wasn’t as lucky this time. Carlisle even came out of retirement to look over my father’s care. After a year of fighting his ass off, Charlie succumbed to his cancer, leaving behind his wife, Sue. We were all heartbroken. Emmett took it harder than most, but Ainsley was with him, every step of the way. Once we went through the house, taking what we wanted from our childhood, there really wasn’t anything holding us to the west coast. We sold our home in Calabasas and made New York our home. Emmett and Ainsley had a baby girl, named Charlotte, and we call her Charlie for short.

Sue was still involved in our lives, but she stayed in Forks. I loved her like a mother, since she was more of a mother than my own. We offered her a place, wanting to give her a fresh start, but her heart was in Forks, with Charlie. She stayed in the house she shared with my father. She was currently seeing a real estate agent, but nothing was serious. She still loved my dad. I was happy for him that he had a woman who adored him up until he took his final breath.

Renee, however, was out of prison and tried to weasel her way into our lives as often as she could. Having two famous children, a famous son-in-law and three grandchildren she never met, she wanted her due, but Renee was served with a restraining order and slapped with a defamation lawsuit when she tried to sell her story to some tabloid. She disappeared shortly after that and as far as I know, she was living in a halfway house in Tampa.

I went into the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes. I pulled on a pair of Edward’s boxers and a loose t-shirt. I rubbed some lotion on my legs, arms and gently dabbed my face. I lay back, putting my hand on my belly. It wasn’t as flat as it used to be, but two pregnancies changed my body. We wanted more children, but with my father’s passing, and subsequent depression, it never seemed like the right time. We were blessed with the three we had and we decided that it was perfect the way it was.

The garage door opened. I sat up, tossing my hair into a ponytail. I put on a robe and went down to the kitchen. Jasen walked in first, carrying a plastic bag of Kellee’s belongings. He was nearly as tall as me, with bright red hair, hazel eyes and an impish grin. He was a charmer, that’s for certain. He was also brilliant. Carlisle may get his doctor out of Jasen. He scored off the charts in both math and science. “Hey, Momma,” he said, hugging me. “Kellee is not allowed to cook anymore.”

“So, I’ve heard,” I quipped. “Thank you for helping with her, Jase. You’re a good man.”

“I know. I rock,” he laughed. “Besides, I wanted to see how the doctors were going to treat her. Her hand was a bubbled up and gross.”

“Jase, I don’t want to clean up more puke,” Edward laughed. “My car is going to smell for a month!” His arm was around our daughter, who looked pale and wan. I walked over to her and pulled her into my arms. She whimpered, snuggling into my body. Kellee was petite, with pale skin like me, with chocolate brown hair and the most interesting eyes. They were silver, but an undercurrent of green. She was a beautiful girl, who was sweet, kind and sharp as a tack. She was also our queen of arguing. Senior said she was a lawyer in the making.

“How are you, peanut?” I asked, brushing her curls back.

“My hand hurts,” she said. “But, oh the fun I’ll have with Eli.”

“Don’t torture him too much,” I snickered.

“Oh, I’m just going to have an Aunt Alice shopping spree and Eli will have to carry all my bags,” Kellee said, waggling her brows. She yawned. “I’m tired. They gave me a shot and I’m sleepy.”

“It’s also late,” Edward said, taking her free hand. “No school tomorrow, little one. We’ve to make an appointment with that burn specialist.”

“Can I stay home, too?” Jasen asked.

“No, Jase. You’re gross and I don’t want you touching my hand,” Kellee grumped. “It’s not cool or anything. It hurts and it’s ugly.” She paused, looking at her father. “Do you think I could sue?”

“No, Kel,” Edward snorted. “You are so like your grandfather. Up. Bed. I need to clean out your puke from my car. My poor car …”

“Sorry, Daddy,” Kellee said, kissing his cheek. The twins went upstairs.

Edward scrubbed his face, leaning back and looking at me. “Can we send Eli to military school yet?”

“Tempting, but no,” I said, sliding my arms around his waist. Oh, my husband looked so fucking good for someone who was forty-two. All muscled, tattooed, pierced and sexy-like.

“Baby, as much as I appreciate the massage to my ass, I have vomit I need to address,” Edward laughed. “We can have naked fun time later.”

“Meh …” I snorted. “I did ground Eli until his first grandchild.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, Mrs. Cullen. How can he give us grandchildren if he’s grounded?” Edward guffawed.

“Tired and pissed. I don’t know half the shit I said to him, but he’s well-aware that we’re disappointed in his choices.” I huffed out a laugh. “I still can’t believe he was at Emerson University in the Chapel!”

“That place is still up? It was crumbling when we went there,” Edward said, kissing my forehead.

“I think he’s going to follow in our footsteps, Edward. If not performing like we do, but maybe a career in music,” I murmured. “Maybe, he’ll be the music teacher that we started out trying to be.”

“We could always go back, _cantante._ I’m certain that Emerson would let our credits carry over,” Edward smiled, kissing my forehead. “They’re only twenty-years old.”

“Ha, ha,” I deadpanned. “Now, let’s get some sleep.”

“Sleep as in _sleep._ Sleep as in fucking,” Edward purred.

“What do you think?” I sang.

xx LMDC xx

Elijah was grounded for the remainder of the school year. By the time he was a junior, he had some freedoms returned. He was able to drive to school and go out with his friends, but he had an early curfew. Elijah didn’t fight it. He knew he screwed up. His little sister had to deal with some pretty significant scarring and pain from her burn. Jasen was all about watching as her hand was cleaned by Poppy, but she was grossed out and wore a compression glove to hide the scarring.

The summer between Elijah’s junior and senior year, and the twins’ sixth and seventh grade year, we went on another North American tour. It was a family vacation for us. Alice and Kellan, with their children Brienne and adoptive son, Preston, Nia and Jasper, with their three kids, Kaylee, Tucker and Christian, and Emmett and Ainsley, with their daughter, Charlie, all clambered onto our four buses and traveled the country. The tour we had with our kids was the tour we should have had with the Midnight Sun tour. What made this tour a lot more fun was Elijah played guitar and keys for us on the stage.

It was his summer job. Not many kids had that kind of summer job, to be honest.

He loved it, playing in front of thousands of people and singing with us. But, I knew he wanted more. I recognized that look. It was the same look that Edward and I shared when we performed. It was why we still created music and pumped out album after album. It was also why people still bought our recordings, our singles. We were up there with one of the highest grossing tour groups. We were just behind Bon Jovi, but surpassed some other big names, much to our surprise.

Upon our return to New York, Elijah applied to colleges, including Emerson University. We were shocked. We expected him to apply to bigger schools, to get lost in a crowd. But, after talking to him, he said that his friends were looking to apply there. These were the same friends that he played with, various gigs and performed on stage. We supported him in his decision, wherever he wanted to go.

We were celebrating Thanksgiving at our house. I was working with Esme, Kathryn and Amelia to make dinner. “I can’t believe that Elijah is a senior,” Amelia. “I remember when he was in your belly, Bella.”

“I was shocked that I was able to get pregnant during that whole situation,” I snorted as I mixed the sweet potato casserole. “But, Eli was a blessing.”

“And so talented,” Esme cooed. “Elijah reminds me so much of Elizabeth with his talents. Music just pours out of him.”

“He’s very much our musical child,” I chuckled, covering the casserole with candied pecans.

“What about Kellee and Jasen? Are they musical?” Kathryn asked.

“Kellee plays the flute in the band. Jasen avoids anything musical, but he’s got a beautiful voice. He won’t acknowledge his talent. He wants to be so different from the rest of the family,” I snorted. “I’m not going to push my children into something that they don’t want to do. If he wants to start singing, I’ll support it. If he wants to join the circus, I’ll question his sanity, but I’ll support any of my children. I only want what’s best for my babies.”

“In the long run, that’s all you ever want for you babies,” Amelia smiled. “And my babies got the best with Alice and Jasper. They are with spouses that love them unconditionally, with beautiful children. They both have jobs that they find fulfilling and challenging.”

“We’re very lucky to have Kellan and Nia. They are an amazing team and we’re blessed to have both of them who looked out for us from the very beginning,” I smiled. Elijah walked into the kitchen. He was holding an envelope. “What’s up, Nugget?”

“Ma,” he whined. “I’m going to be eighteen-years old. I’m not a nugget.”

“Well, too bad. You will always be my nugget. Just like Kellee will always be my peanut and Jasen will be my bean,” I snorted, ruffling his hair. “Now, what’s up? And, what’s that?”

He handed me the envelope and the logo for Emerson University was on it. He looked up at me, biting his lip. “Information about my future?”

“Open it, Elijah,” I smiled.

“Let me go get Dad,” Elijah said, darting away. He dragged Edward, Carlisle and Senior into the kitchen. With the ruckus, everyone filed into the kitchen as well. Elijah picked up the envelope, looking up at me and Edward. “Here goes nothing.” He tore into the envelope. He read out loud. “Dear Mr. Cullen: We’re happy to offer you enrollment into the class of 2039!” He blinked up and he smiled eagerly. “I got in! I got in!”

“Congratulations, baby,” I said, hugging my oldest son. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I have to text the guys. I wonder if they got in, too,” Elijah said. He kissed my cheek and hugged his father before tearing up the stairs.

“We have a child that is going to college,” Edward whimpered. “I’m not ready for that.”

“Neither were we,” Esme snickered. “Welcome to parenthood, son.”

“Bella, hold me!” he cried, suctioning his body to mine. I laughed, ruffling his hair.

“Now, that’s something to be thankful for,” Emmett said. He held up his bottle of Perrier. “To my nephew getting into our alma mater.”

xx LMDC xx

**One year later …**

**EPOV**

“This brings back memories,” my wife whispered. “I never thought we’d be back at Eclipse. I wonder if Kellan went into his office for shits and giggles. Do you think we could sneak into the green room? Have some raunchy wall sex?”

“Tempting,” I laughed. “But, I don’t think my creaky old bones could handle it. I’m decrepit, woman. My forty-three-year-old body is not as lithe as my twenty-year old body.” She smacked my belly. “It’s true!”

Alice walked over to us and she smiled. “Blast from the past, kids. But, we’re in the audience, watching Elijah. What’s the name of his band?”

“Sogni,” Bella answered. “He’s just as romantic as his father with the Italian wooing.”

“Like father, like son,” I said, patting my chest. “He’ll probably mate for life, too. He’ll find his _cantante_ …”

“Don’t even, Edward Anthony,” Bella pouted. “I’m struggling with the whole concept that Elijah is in college. Don’t make him fall in love and get married. I’m not ready for grandbabies. We’re hot.”

“You won’t get an argument from me,” I snickered.

“We aged well, like a fine wine,” Kellan said, sliding his arm around Alice’s waist. “Now, Sogni is getting ready to perform. I heard from one of the college kids that there’s an agent in the audience.”

“From where?” Jasper asked.

“Twilight,” Kellan snickered. “I don’t think they know that Elijah is your son. On the billing, he’s listed as Eli Masen.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. He wants to establish himself as his own musician,” Bella explained. “From what I’ve heard, their sound is a blend of alternative, hip hop and a touch of jazz. It’s quite unique.”

The lights went down and the crowd went crazy. I stood behind my wife as some electronic sounds filtered through the speaker. A spotlight focused on Elijah’s face and I was shocked at how much he looked like me. His voice was pure and ethereal, but was able to growl with the best of the rockers I’ve ever known. The set was dynamic, filled with fast songs, slow songs and that quirky blend that Bella described. Toward the end of the set, a petite red head came out. Elijah slid his arm around her waist and he stared at this girl like I looked at my wife of over twenty years. “He found her …” I whispered against Bella’s temple.

“Are you surprised?” she sighed. “She’s cute. But, can she sing?”

“This next song really speaks to me. The reason being is that it was a song that my dad wrote for my mom, both of whom are musicians. The love between my parents is something that not many people see. I was so lucky that I got to see how much my parents loved each other and the respect they had for each other. It’s also how I feel about Madelyn,” Elijah said, leaning over and kissing the red head. She melted against him. “Now, I took the original song and I made it a little different. So, here’s Sogni’s version of ‘La Musica del Cuore.’”

The song I wrote for my wife was beautiful and it made my heart skip every time we performed it. But seeing my son sing it to the woman who captured his heart, made me so overjoyed. Bella was crying next to me, tears streaming down her cheeks as we listened to the love song that was a part of our past and now, instrumental in Elijah’s future. His take on it was so beautiful, unique and perfect.

“If they didn’t know who Elijah’s parents were before, they do now,” Kellan yelled, poking my side. I nodded, shocked at how loud the crowd had become. Elijah and Madelyn sang together. Their voices blended perfectly and I knew I’d have a new daughter soon.

The song ended and Elijah shouted out his thank you as the lights went down. A few moments later, they were back up and the DJ was spinning some tunes. “Should we stay?” Bella asked. “Perhaps ask to meet Madelyn?”

“Nah,” I said. “He’s probably freaking out knowing that the agent was in the audience. If he knew that we were here? He’d have a fucking heart attack.” I took my wife’s hand. “You want to go reminisce on campus? Sneak into Brandon and have some wild monkey sex on stage?”

“Oooh, can we?” Bella giggled.

We snuck out the back and we did drive through campus, but were too tired to stop. When we got home, we made love in our bed, remembering the beginning of our relationship at Emerson University and the love that blossomed from the moment Bella ran into my arms the moment she moved into the dorms.

The next day, the phone rang entirely way too early. I ignored it. It wasn’t until Jasen sauntered in, wearing a pair of boxers and a major case of bedhead that I answered it. “You better be dying to be calling this early,” I grumbled. Bella moaned, curling closer to me.

“Not dying, really. Maybe dying of shock. Dad! Twilight Records wants to sign me!” Elijah prattled on. “They sent a scout and she was totally impressed. Loves the sound, the arrangements … DAD! What am I going to do?”

“Do they know who you are?” I asked, sitting up and scrubbing my face.

“Janie figured out with the final song,” Elijah chuckled. “But, she didn’t have a clue prior to that. They want to sign Sogni! They want us to record a demo. What should we do?”

“Did this Janie give you paperwork? Information?” I yawned. Elijah responded yes. “Bring that stuff home and we’ll have Uncle Kellan take a look at it, along with Grandpa. Okay?”

“Sounds good. And Dad? Can I bring home someone special?” he whispered. “Her name is Madelyn and … I think she’s my _cantante_.”

“I look forward to meeting her, Elijah,” I smiled. “You coming over today?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “After I get some sleep. I was kind of pumped to crash last night.”

“I don’t want to know what you did, son, but I think I have an idea,” I snickered. “Make sure you’re being safe.” My wife smacked me. I hissed.

“Dad,” Elijah whined.

“What? We’re too young to be grandparents,” I said to both of them. Bella scowled at me. “I’ll see you later on today. Love you, Elijah. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Elijah chuckled.

We hung up and I tossed the phone onto the floor. I curled around my wife, nuzzling her neck. Bella’s fingers twined with mine and she burrowed against my body. “I think he’s going to want to quit college. Especially if they’re offering him a contract,” I whispered against her ear.

“It worked for us,” Bella sighed, turning around and sliding her leg between mine.

“Did you ever regret not finishing your degree?” I asked. “Becoming a music teacher?”

“There are days where I regret that I don’t have a college degree, but I think of our lives and I’m so grateful,” Bella explained. “All of my dreams came true, Edward. Every day, I get to make music with people that I love. I’ve reached millions of people with my words, my music, my voice. I married the man of my dreams and I have three beautiful children. We have a wonderful life, baby. Nothing could make me prouder than that.”

“Bella?”

“What, baby?”

“I hope you don’t intend to fall back asleep,” I whispered, sliding her panties down her limbs. “After hearing that, I just have to show you how much I love you.”

xx LMDC xx

**Two years later …**

**ElijahPOV**

Never in a million years would I think that I’d be attending the Grammy Awards. On top of that, my band, Sogni, is up for best new artist. Also, our debut album was up for Album of the Year and the song I wrote for my fiancée, Madelyn, is up for Song of the Year, against my parents. That was a shocker. I’m attending the Grammys and I’m in the running for the same award as my parents and their band, Breaking Midnight. They were the favorite. They’d won over twenty Grammy’s in their career. Plus, fifteen American Music Awards, three Golden Globes and two Oscars. They’re even on their way to win a Tony.

They were collaborating with Lin Manuel-Miranda on some Broadway show. The previews were favorable and it could win them a Tony.

_Shit!_

If only I were that talented. My parents would say that I’m more musical than the both of them combined. I disagree. I work my ass off to do what I do. My father is a natural showman, with phenomenal guitar skills and the ability to improvise beautifully on the piano. His voice is rougher than mine, but a brilliant tenor. My mother, she sounds like an angel. Her voice is pristine, like smooth glass. And when they perform together? It’s nothing short of magical. I loved watching my parents as a kid, but as an adult and as a fellow performer, I have a new-found respect for my family and what they do for a living.

I’m also lucky to have the support of my family, my band and my fiancée. Most parents would have scoffed at the prospect of a record deal. But, using our resources, Uncle Kellan and Grandpa, we discovered that the deal was legit and was really good. We’d record two albums … an EP, with our first single and a full-length album, _Breaking Dawn_. It was a nod to my beginnings and my parents. My bandmates, Rufus, who played bass, Erick, who played guitar and keys, Gary, who played rhythm guitar, Reese, who played drums and percussion and finally, Madelyn, who shared singing responsibilities with me, they were supportive of the debut album title. They had nothing but respect for my parents’ band. Madelyn even had a poster of my dad in her bedroom at home in Tulsa.

We also had a full brass and woodwind section for a jazz band because our sound was a jazz fusion. When we performed at Eclipse, we usually pre-recorded those tracks, Rufus, Gary and myself playing the parts. But with Twilight records, we got the budget to hire a full jazz wind section.

We performed our Song of the Year selection, “Amore.” My parents were going to perform last, just prior to the announcement of who won the award. I was an anxious mess as my parents performed their song, “Forever and Always,” a companion piece to my mom’s song, “Until Forever Dies.” The love radiating between the two of them was shockingly apparent. I felt a soft nudge to my side.

“You look at me the same way, Eli,” Madelyn whispered. “Your parents are … you’re lucky, baby.” I blinked down at her, kissing her sweetly. “I love you, Elijah.”

“I love you more, Madelyn,” I whispered back, leaning my forehead against hers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that was the final nominee for Song of the Year. The Grammy goes to …” said Charlie Puth. “Breaking Midnight with ‘Forever and Always’!”

They walked back onto the stage and graciously accepted the award. My father gushed about his pride in our band and said that it would be shared with us. With hugs, they walked off stage and Madelyn threaded her fingers with mine. I ran my thumb across her engagement ring. I was disappointed, but happy for my parents, Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett.

After that, the Best New Artist was recognized by Taylor Swift. “And the Grammy goes to …” she gasped. “Sogni!”

“Oh, my God,” Erick barked. “We won!”

We stood up, hugging, kissing and making our way onto the stage. I accepted the award, grinning like a buffoon. “Before you say your speech, you’ve won another award, too. _Breaking Dawn_ is album of the year,” Taylor beamed, handing me a second trophy. I blinked, clearly shocked. I expected my parents to win with _Forever and Always,_ the album with the title track, “Forever and Always.”

I handed the Grammys to my friends and blinked up. “Wow,” I breathed. “Never in a million years did I expect that we’d beat out my parents.” The crowd laughed. “Anyway, music has been in my blood since before I was born. I was blessed with amazing opportunities, wonderful friends and the best family a man could ever wish for. Thank you to our record label, Twilight and our manager, Janie Devon. I’d also like to thank my uncle, Kellan Moore, who helped guide us through that initial stage of signing.

“To the fans who made us a huge hit before anything. We do this for you! Thank you to my best mates, Erick, Gary, Reese and Rufus. You’ve been my best friends since I moved out to New York and I’m so happy to share this with you. To Madelyn, my _cantante_ , my everything … I love you more and more each day. I’m so blessed to be your fiancé and partner.” I kissed my beautiful fiancée, caressing her cheek.

“Last but not least, thank you to my family: my parents, Isabella and Edward Cullen, the lead singers to the band, Breaking Midnight, my uncles, Emmett Swan and Jasper Whitlock, Aunt Ali, Aunt Nia, my siblings, Kellee and Jasen and everyone who encouraged and fostered my love of music. They all taught me that music doesn’t come from up here,” I pointed to my head, “but, it comes from down here.” I pressed my fist to my heart. “ _La musica del cuore_ , is the most cherished thing in our family and I will remember that always, along with this night. Thank you and God bless.”

_Fin_


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